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Local residents and visitors on Friday said goodbye to two PLA Navy ships as they departed the city following a four-day port call. The ships will next visit Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore. The training vessel Qi Jiguang and amphibious landing ship Yimengshan arrived in the SAR on Tuesday and were open to the public for visits at the Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base on Wednesday and Thursday as part of celebrations for National Day. A farewell ceremony was held by the PLA Hong Kong garrison at 10am on Friday at the pier of the base on Stonecutters Island, where the commanding officer of the fleet thanked the SAR government and the public for their support. Crew members were seen lining at the deck to wave goodbye to those onshore. Enthusiastic onlookers also gathered on both sides of the Victoria Harbour to bid farewell to the vessels as they sailed past. It was the ships' first time to the SAR, and also the second time this year that the PLA Navy had come to Hong Kong and engaged in open events. Previously, the Shandong, the country's first independently designed and built aircraft carrier, sailed into the city in July to mark the 28th anniversary of the SAR's establishment. While the Qi Jiguang and Yimengshan docked in the city this week, a range of naval-themed activities were held, including flash mob performances and naval signal displays, attracting over 20,000 participants from Hong Kong and Macau.

Germany's Munich airport said early on Friday that drone sightings on Thursday evening had forced air traffic control to suspend operations, leading to the cancellation of 17 flights and disrupting travel for nearly 3,000 passengers. Another 15 arriving flights were diverted to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna and Frankfurt, it said in a statement, marking the latest drone disruption to European aviation after sightings temporarily shut airports in Denmark and Norway last week. German air traffic control officials restricted flight operations at Munich airport from 10.18pm on Thursday, or 4.18am Hong Kong time on Friday, and later suspended them altogether due to several drone sightings, the airport added. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 said the airport would remain closed until 4.59am local time, or 10.59am Hong Kong time, on Friday. A flight from Bangkok was the first of the day to land at around 5.25am. Munich was already placed on edge this week when its popular Oktoberfest was closed temporarily due to a bomb threat and the discovery of explosives in a residential building in the city's north. Denmark has stopped short of saying who it believes is responsible for the incidents in its airspace last week, which disrupted air traffic at multiple airports, but Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has suggested it could be Russia. European Union leaders backed plans on Wednesday to bolster the bloc's defences against Russian drones. Russian President Vladimir Putin joked on Thursday that he would not fly drones over Denmark anymore, but Moscow has denied responsibility for the incidents. (Reuters) _____________________________ Last updated: 2025-10-03 HKT 12:59

US President Donald Trump on Thursday signalled that he plans to follow through on his threat for mass layoffs of US federal workers as he ratcheted pressure on Democrats to back moves to end the government shutdown. The Republican president announced he would meet budget chief Russell Vought "to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent." Trump's announcement on his Truth Social website came with the government entering the second day of a stoppage that is expected to see 750,000 employees being sent home without pay across a wide range of agencies. Vought told House Republicans on Wednesday many of those workers would be targeted for permanent layoffs to be announced in the next day or two, echoing Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt's threat that firings were "imminent." Leavitt told reporters on Thursday the job cuts were likely going to number "in the thousands." Trump has emphasised that he views cutbacks as a way of increasing pain on Democrats, arguing that "we can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them." Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his House counterpart Hakeem Jeffries have dismissed the job cuts threat as an attempt at intimidation and said mass firings would not stand up in court. Two Senate Democrats and an independent who votes with the party have broken with their colleagues, but the rest have been voting against a House-passed resolution to keep the government funded at current levels through November 21. "This is day two of Donald Trump's shutdown, but it's day 256 of the chaos that the Trump presidency has unleashed on the American people," Jeffries told a news conference at the US Capitol on Thursday. The House minority leader accused Republicans of shutting down the federal government because "they don't want to provide health care to working-class Americans." Although House Republicans were on holiday, Jeffries said Democrats were ready and willing "to sit down with anyone, any time, any place" – including with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, "to try to find a path forward." The Senate is not voting on Thursday because of the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, but another vote is expected on Friday and on most days until the standoff is resolved. Five additional Democratic votes would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold in the 100-member Senate to green-light the House-passed bill. As each side seeks to point the finger at the other over the shutdown, polling indicates that Democrats and Republicans may currently be sharing the blame. A new poll from the Washington Post found that 47 percent of Americans blame Trump and congressional Republicans for the shutdown, while just 30 percent point the finger at Democrats. But a New York Times/Siena survey showed two-thirds of respondents said Democrats should not shut down the government if Republicans do not agree to their demands. Adding to pressure on Democrats to relent and provide votes to reopen the government, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC Thursday that the shutdown could hurt US economic growth. "This isn't the way to have a discussion, shutting down the government and lowering the GDP," he said. (AFP)

Protesters around the world have railed at Israel's interception of a flotilla carrying aid for Gaza's besieged Palestinians, urging greater sanctions in response. From Europe to Australia and South America, demonstrators took to the streets to condemn the treatment of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Barcelona last month to challenge Israel's blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations reports famine conditions after nearly two years of war. Forty-one ships with more than 400 people aboard were halted by the Israeli navy from Wednesday and prevented from reaching the coastal territory, an Israeli official said. Around 15,000 people marched through Barcelona in protest at Israel's actions, according to the municipal police force in Spain's second city, chanting slogans including "Gaza, you are not alone", "Boycott Israel" and "Freedom for Palestine". Riot police beat back a portion of the protesters who attempted to climb over barriers with truncheons, forcing them to retreat, images broadcast on Spanish public television showed. A boat carrying former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau was among those prevented from proceeding. Colau and her fellow activists, including Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, face deportation by Israel. Several hundred protesters also marched outside the Irish parliament in Dublin, where support for the Palestinian cause has often been compared to Ireland's centuries-long struggle against British colonial rule. Miriam McNally, who said her daughter had set sail with the flotilla, was at the Dublin demonstration. "I am worried sick for my daughter, but I am so proud of her and of what she's doing," McNally told AFP. "She is standing up for humanity in the face of grave danger." Around a thousand people marched in Paris's Place de la Republique, an AFP journalist saw, while in the port city of Marseille, in southern France, around a hundred pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested in the afternoon after attempting to block access to offices of weapons maker Eurolinks, accused of selling military components to Israel. Protests were also held in Berlin, The Hague, Tunis, Brasilia and Buenos Aires, according to AFP correspondents. In Italy, where the country's main unions have called a general strike for Friday in solidarity with the flotilla, thousands took to the streets to urge Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to defend the activists. Besides Rome, where police said 10,000 people joined a march, other protests took place in cities including Milan, Torino, Florence and Bologna. A day after a similar demonstration Wednesday evening, protesters in the capital gathered at the Colosseum and marched, slamming the far-right prime minister's support of Israel. "We are prepared to block everything. The genocidal machine must stop immediately," demonstrators chanted. In Turkey, whose government is among the fiercest critics of Israel's offensive, a long column of demonstrators marched to the Israeli embassy in Istanbul, with banners including "Total embargo on the occupation". "We demand the release of all members of the Sumud fleet and all prisoners, and as university students, we demand that all academic and economic ties with the genocidal Israeli state be terminated at our universities," 21-year-old student Elif Bozkurt told AFPTV. Around 3,000 demonstrators also took to the front of the European Parliament building in Brussels, with one banner urging the EU to "break the siege" as smoke bombs and crackers were set off in the crowd. "The message is that each boat must be protected," a protester named Isis told AFPTV at the demonstration, urging the European Union's leadership to halt the "astronomical sums of money sent to Israel" through the bloc's agreements with the Middle Eastern country. A similar-sized crowd rallied in Geneva, according to an AFP journalist at the scene and Swiss broadcasters, with the mostly young protesters lighting a bonfire near the central station. The protesters then headed to the Swiss city's Mont Blanc bridge, at the end of Lake Geneva, to be met by a line of police in riot gear, who pushed the demonstrators back after brief clashes. In the Greek capital Athens, a throng of protesters set off fireworks and flares. "The attack against the flotilla Sumud, it was a barbaric escalation from the Israeli apartheid state. They don't want to even open a passage for humanitarian help to Gaza," Petros Konstantinou, coordinator of Greece's World Against Racism and Fascism (KEERFA) group, told AFPTV. Dozens also rallied in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, in front of the embassy of the United States, Israel's key ally. "We are very upset... Upset, angry, disgusted because what they are doing is for humanity," said Ili Farhan, 43. "They are just bringing in aid and baby food... This arrest is unjust." (AFP)

An attacker ploughed a car into a crowd outside a packed synagogue in Britain on Thursday, a Jewish holiday, before going on a stabbing spree, killing two people and leaving three wounded, police said. Police said they shot dead the suspect, later identifying him as a UK citizen of Syrian origin, and arrested three other people within hours of the attack in the city of Manchester, which took place as Jewish communities around the world marked Yom Kippur, the holiest holiday in the Jewish calendar. The two dead victims were Jewish men, police in the northwest English city confirmed, as counter-terror police declared it a "terrorist incident". Three other people were in hospital with serious injuries, police said, after saying four had been wounded. The three people arrested were "two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s", who were in custody "on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism", said Greater Manchester Police (GMP). The attacker wore a "vest which had the appearance of an explosive device", but police revealed Thursday evening it was not functional. GMP also identified the suspect as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent. RTHK's UK correspondent, Gavin Grey, noted police have made an effort to release details of the suspect quickly. "Over the last three or four years, the police have been under much, much more pressure to release details about the main suspect earlier," he told Hong Kong Today. "In the past, they would wait until they were charged and then you would get very few details, and only more details once the court case had begun. "But such is the pressure now on the police and on the authorities about migration in this country -- and about some of the crimes committed by people trying to seek asylum here -- that they're very quick to now try and say that this person was either British-born or not." As night fell on Thursday, Orthodox Jewish worshippers emerged from packed synagogues in Manchester after a day of prayers and fasting to learn about the attack, having switched off phones and computers for the day. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who left a European summit in Denmark early to chair an emergency response meeting in London, announced security was being boosted at UK synagogues. Addressing Jewish communities directly in a televised statement shortly after the meeting, he vowed to "do everything in my power to guarantee you the security that you deserve". He said while antisemitism was not new, "we must be clear it is a hatred that is rising once again, and Britain must defeat it once again". It was one of the worst antisemitic attacks in Europe since the October 7, 2023 assault on Israel led by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which sparked the Gaza war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the "barbaric attack". "Israel grieves with the Jewish community in the UK," he said. GMP said it was alerted shortly after 9.30 am local time that a car had driven into people outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue and a security guard had been attacked with a knife. Chief constable Stephen Watson confirmed later that "two members of our Jewish community have sadly died", adding officers had shot dead the attacker within seven minutes of the first emergency call. "The driver of the car was seen then to attack people with a knife" while wearing the fake explosives vest, Watson said. Police praised the swift action of people who reported the attack, saying it had stopped the suspect from entering the synagogue. A witness told BBC Radio he saw police shooting a man after a car crash. "They give him a couple of warnings, he didn't listen until they opened fire," the witness said. King Charles III said he and Queen Camilla were "deeply shocked and saddened". United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was among the world leaders to condemn the attack. "Houses of worship are sacred places where people can go to find peace," Guterres said. "Targeting a synagogue on Yom Kippur is particularly heinous." (AFP/RTHK)

Hong Kong residents flocked to the Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base for a second day on Thursday to tour two People’s Liberation Army vessels, saying the event gave them a rare chance to see the country’s military up close. The vessels – training ship Qi Jiguang and landing ship Yimengshan – arrived on Tuesday for a port call. A military enthusiast said he was pleased to board the ships. “It feels great. I hope more different naval vessels can visit Hong Kong in the future so the public can see a wider variety,” he said. Cadet Luo Jiayi from Guangdong said the warm response from Hongkongers gave him a strong sense of connection. “It feels like being with family. Over the past two days, every time I spoke Cantonese with visitors they were surprised, and it felt like chatting at a family gathering – a real two-way exchange,” he said. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said it was her first time stepping onto a PLA warship. “Since the military parade in Beijing last month, we know that our country loves peace, but our military power needs to be strong so others won’t dare to invade us. So this visit to the PLA ship makes me feel the power as a Chinese,” she said. The ships will depart on Friday for exchanges in Cambodia, Thailand and Singapore.

A tourism sector representative says he expects more mainland tourists to arrive in Hong Kong on Thursday and Friday as their National Day Golden Week continues. More than 224,000 mainlanders arrived in the SAR when the eight-day mainland holiday began on Wednesday. Timothy Chui, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, told an RTHK radio show on Thursday that he believes many visitors are still on their way to the SAR by high-speed rail or plane, as they only finished work the day before National Day. He said that among the 1,200 tour groups that are expected to arrive, half of them will be one-day tours, while the rest are on a multi-destination basis. Chui, who is also the managing director of O'Hotel, said many tourists chose to stay in Hong Kong after the National Day fireworks, despite room rates in Tsim Sha Tsui being up by five to 10 percent. "The room rate for boutique hotels like ours, or luxury hotels, even though it is higher than usual, the difference is not too significant," he said. "The travelling habits of many mainland tourists were: if they could reserve a hotel room after enjoying the fireworks, they would book it, or return to Shenzhen where they would definitely be able to book a hotel room if they failed to do so." Meanwhile, wholesale and retail sector lawmaker Peter Shiu said the long holiday, along with discounts and perks at restaurants and half-price movie tickets as part of the National Day celebrations, boosted business. Queues were seen outside stores selling luxury goods and jewellery, he said. Shiu said at least 226,000 SAR residents left Hong Kong on Wednesday, but the impact on the retail sector was not too significant. "With people leaving Hong Kong, of course sales would decline. But I believe people heading north has become a routine, and the number of people leaving Hong Kong to the Greater Bay Area is even higher over the weekend. As today is not a public holiday, so there should be fewer people leaving the city yesterday," he said. "Also, as the government rolled out many discounts on National Day, it might have reduced the number of people heading north."

Three suspected members of Palestinian militant group Hamas were arrested in Berlin on Wednesday for allegedly planning attacks on Jewish and Israeli sites, German prosecutors said, with weapons and ammunition also seized. The male suspects were "foreign operatives" of Hamas, who have "have been involved in procuring firearms and ammunition for the organisation" in Germany, said federal prosecutors in a statement. But Hamas denied any connection to the three men. According to German prosecutors, an AK-47 assault rifle and several pistols, along with a stash of ammunition, were seized when the suspects were arrested. "The weapons were to be used by Hamas for deadly attacks targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany," added the statement. According to news outlet Der Spiegel, searches were also carried out in the eastern city of Leipzig around the same time as the arrests in Berlin. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt hailed law enforcement officials for "averting a terrorist threat." A suspect with Hamas connections had entered Germany several months ago and had been under observation since, Dobrindt told reporters in Brussels. "We are clearly a target for terrorists, which is why we must always be well prepared to defend ourselves against them," he added. But in a statement, Hamas said it has "no connection with the individuals arrested today in Germany," adding the allegations that the detainees had links to the Islamist group were "completely unfounded." The suspects will appear in court on Thursday. (AFP)

With just over a month to go before the 15th National Games begin, the police said they would ensure that all events are carried out in a safe, orderly and secure manner. Ensuring a smooth Games is among the police commissioner's top operational priorities for the year. Hong Kong will co-host the Games, which begin on November 9, for the first time along with Guangdong and Macau. Since November last year, the force has been carrying out cross-departmental exercises at all competition venues, as well as test events, to step up the city's coordination and emergency response procedures. Senior superintendent Lok Wai-lurk, from the operations wing for the National Games, said police would continue to assess the situation and deploy resources accordingly, even though the SAR's terrorist threat level currently stands at moderate. "This means that there is a possibility of an attack, but there is no specific intelligence suggesting that Hong Kong will likely become a target," he said. "But I reiterated that we will continuously assess the situation and intelligence, and carry out appropriate operational deployment. We already have relevant response plans in place." As for possible bogus bomb threats during the Games, senior superintendent of operations, Yip Kit-fai, said the force is confident that they can handle such cases. It comes after two bomb hoaxes were reported at Kai Tak Sports Park in April and May, respectively. "During large-scale events, we will carry out a search at the event venues before the start of competitions to ensure safety. During the competitions, we will also search spectators when they enter the venue," he said. "As for how to handle such cases, we have already carried out a lot of table top exercises. The aim is to cover various emergencies, such as bogus bomb threats. We already have an established mechanism with venue operators and security guards on how to handle such incidents." Lok noted the weekend of November 15 -16 would be the busiest for the National Games in Hong Kong, as golf, men's U22 basketball, track cycling, fencing, triathlon and cross-boundary athletics (marathon) would be held during that period. He said the force would work with the National Games co-ordination office and other government departments on crowd and traffic management, and reduce the time needed for road closures for cross-boundary events, so as to minimise disruptions to the public.

Hong Kong residents turned up in droves on Wednesday for a close look at two People’s Liberation Army naval vessels docked in the city as part of National Day celebrations, with many saying the ships showed China’s growing strength and military power. The vessels – training ship Qi Jiguang and dock landing ship Yimengshan – arrived on Tuesday for a port call and are berthed at the Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base on Stonecutters Island. They are open to the public until Thursday and will depart on Friday. Many residents queued early in the morning to ensure they could get on board. One woman said she arrived around 7am because she was so eager to see the ships and their weapons. A young boy said he was most excited over the opportunity to see “how big” the vessels are. Visitors took photos with navy service personnel, toured weapon systems and collected commemorative stamps in special booklets. Navy personnel were roundly applauded for staging a musical performance on the pier. Navy cadets explained the ships’ weapon systems as well as daily life aboard the vessels to visitors. One cadet, Jing Haifeng, said: “Hong Kong visitors asked us whether being in the military is tough, and how we feel about coming to Hong Kong. "We feel that residents here really care about us, and this exchange brings us closer together.” As for the visitors, some said they were glad for the opportunity to see the country's military capabilities during the National Day, calling them a symbol of the nation's prosperity and strength.

A hotel representative said more mainland families are spending the National Day Golden Week holiday in Hong Kong this year as it overlaps with the Mid-Autumn Festival. Alan Chan, chief operations officer at Miramar Group, told RTHK the company's hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai are more than 90 percent full and that room rates have gone up by 9 to 11 percent from a year ago. He said spectacles like the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance are a proven attraction for tourists. "Because the National Day Golden Week holiday this year is quite long, and it overlaps with Mid-Autumn Festival, the festive atmosphere is strong," he said. "When it comes to travelling, Hong Kong's festive atmosphere is better than foreign places." As for the High Island Reservoir East Dam, New Territories South East constituency lawmaker Stanley Li said the popular tourist attraction could be inundated with taxis, even though the Transport Department has arranged for the number of minibuses heading to the scenic area to be stepped up during the Golden Week holiday. The stepped-up service will see at least 30 minibuses, along with standby vehicles and drivers, operate over the eight-day mainland break, instead of the four that usually ply the route during weekends and other public holidays. However, Li said: "Tourists, especially those from the mainland, may head to East Dam directly by taxi once they pass through border checkpoints. So you have people heading there from different places, and you don't know [how they get there]. So it is difficult to tell. "Also, the passenger volume of a taxi is low. A minibus has more than a dozen seats, while a taxi only has a few. So I'm a bit worried, and I expect there could be hundreds of taxis causing congestion there." But Li believes the number of taxis is sufficient to handle the expected surge in tourists, as not all minibuses were used up when the same arrangement was put in place during the Labour Day Golden Week. More than 1.5 million visitors and about 1,200 tourist groups are expected to head to Hong Kong between October 1 and 8.

Chief Executive John Lee said on Wednesday Hong Kong will actively develop in line with the country’s strategies while leveraging the city’s unique advantages. Speaking at a National Day reception, Lee praised China’s achievements, saying the nation has made an extraordinary journey to prosperity and strength and is now firmly established as the world’s second-largest economy by achieving a remarkable rate of progress that is admired globally. Lee outlined three main priorities for Hong Kong as it supports the nation’s development goals. First, he stressed the importance of safeguarding national security while co-ordinating security and development. "Safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests is the highest principle of One Country, Two Systems," Lee said. "The government is committed to continuously enhancing the legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security to ensure security and promote development, striving for a vibrant economy, pursuing development and advancing infrastructure construction." He added the government seeks to ensure the upcoming Legco election will be successfully held. "We will devote all efforts in preparing for the upcoming general election for the eighth-term Legislative Council on December 7 this year, ensuring that the election is conducted in a fair, just, honest, safe and orderly manner." Second, Lee stressed the need to facilitate economic growth and improve people's livelihoods. He said stronger economic development would boost demand, increase government revenue and allow more investment in infrastructure and public services, ensuring that the benefits of growth are shared across society. Third, Lee said the government would press ahead with implementing measures set out in his Policy Address last month and deepen reforms. "I attach great importance to swiftly resolving livelihood issues, as well as setting out long-term planning and systematic layout," he said. The CE said government policies have helped to boost Hong Kong’s international ratings, its competitiveness as a financial centre, its ability to attract talent, and its standing as one of the world’s safest cities – showing that the administration is moving in the right direction. Before the reception, a flag-raising ceremony was held at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai. Those in attendance included Lee and his wife, senior government officials, Executive Council members, as well as Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference vice chairman and former chief executive CY Leung and two other former CEs Donald Tsang and Carrie Lam. Flag-raising ceremonies were also held at the Office of the Commissioner for China's Foreign Ministry and Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the military should use US cities as training grounds for a "war from within," in a speech to a rare meeting of top officers. Republican Trump told hundreds of generals and admirals summoned from around the world to be ready for a greater role in crackdowns on Democrat-run cities, including Chicago. The assembled top brass were separately warned by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth of a different challenge, as he vowed to eliminate "fat generals" and to roll back what he called "decades of decay." "I told Pete, we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military," Trump said in front of a huge American flag at a military facility in Quantico, Virginia. Trump added that "we're going to straighten them out one by one, and this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That's a war too – it's a war from within." Trump began his speech by railing against so-called "woke" practices in the US military, saying that under his administration, it was now "reawakening the warrior spirit." His hour-long address then took on an even more overtly political tone, in a break with previous presidents who have tended to avoid domestic politics when addressing troops. Former Fox News host-turned Defence Secretary Hegseth summoned the meeting last week before Trump then announced that he would also speak. Speculation had swirled about the purpose of gathering the whole US top brass in one place, with talk of a major military announcement. But in the end it was largely a doubling down on restoring what Iraq war veteran Hegseth called the "military ethos." Striding the stage, Hegseth told all ranks they must now take a physical fitness test twice a year. "It's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon," he said. Hegseth also insisted on "grooming standards" including short hair and shaving, adding: "If you want a beard you can join special forces. If not, then shave. We don't have a military full of Nordic pagans." He also declared an end to "ideological garbage," citing concerns over climate change, bullying, "toxic" leaders and promotions based on race or gender as examples. The speeches by Trump and Hegseth came as the US military faces controversy both at home and abroad, with Trump deploying troops in Los Angeles and Washington, and shortly in Portland, Oregon and Memphis, Tennessee. (AFP)

Rescuers ran oxygen and water to students trapped in the unstable concrete rubble of a collapsed school building in Indonesia, as they desperately worked to free survivors on Tuesday, a day after the structure fell. At least three students were killed, more than 100 were injured and dozens were presumed buried in the rubble. Rescue workers, police and soldiers digging through the night pulled out eight weak and injured survivors more than eight hours after the collapse at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in the East Java town of Sidoarjo. Rescuers saw additional bodies, indicating the death toll was likely to rise. Rescue efforts were temporarily suspended at 10.15am as the collapsed concrete shook suddenly. People immediately ran for their lives, fearing another collapse, as rescuers urged everyone in the area to avoid the building, including more than a dozens of ambulances that parked near the scene. The work resumed around 1.45pm. The students are mostly boys in grades seven to 11, between ages 12 and 18. Families anxiously awaited news at hospitals or near the collapsed building. A notice posted at the school complex on Tuesday morning listed 65 students as missing. National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari revised the number of people presumed buried in the rubble to 38 by midday. “Oh my God... my son is still buried, oh my God please help!” a mother cried hysterically upon seeing her child’s name on the board, followed by the cries of other parents whose relatives had suffered a similar fate. “Please, sir, please find my child immediately,” cried a father, holding the hand of one of the rescue team members. Heavy slabs of concrete and other rubble and unstable parts of the building hampered search and rescue efforts, said Nanang Sigit, a search and rescue officer leading the effort. Heavy equipment was available but not being used due to concerns that it could cause further collapse. “We have been running oxygen and water to those still trapped under the debris and keeping them alive while we work hard to get them out,” Sigit said. He added that rescuers saw several bodies under the rubble but were focused on saving those who were still alive. Several hundred rescuers were involved in the effort and had equipment for breathing, extrication, medical evacuation and other support tools. Islamic boarding schools are commonly called as “pesantren” in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, and its students are called “santri." Unlike students in public schools, the santri board in dormitories, because apart from studying formal education, they also study Islamic religious knowledge intensively, and they return home only during school holidays. Government data showed more than 42,400 pesantren listed in 2024 in Indonesia with 3,4 million santris and 370,000 Islamic teachers and preachers. More than 2,000 santris study at al Khoziny, ranging from junior high school level to college. The students had been performing afternoon prayers in a building that was undergoing an unauthorized expansion when it suddenly collapsed on top of them, provincial police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast said. Residents, teachers and administrators assisted injured students, many with head injuries and broken bones. Female students were praying in another part of the building and managed to escape, survivors said. One male student, a 13-year-old boy, was found dead on Monday and 102 students and teachers were injured and taken to hospitals, some of them in critical condition, Muhari said. By Tuesday, 75 students and two teachers were still hospitalized, he said. On Tuesday, two male students died from their injuries while being treated in Notopuro General Hospital, the hospital director Atok Irawan said. The two were among 11 students who initially were pulled out alive from the rubble by rescuers, he said. (AFP)

Chief Executive John Lee stressed on Tuesday that the government's efforts to reduce waste and encourage recycling will not stop even though the waste-charging scheme has been shelved. The administration has announced that it will not implement the scheme for the remainder of its current term, which ends in June 2027. Speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee said the implementation of any policy requires comprehensive consideration, such as the degree of social acceptance of an issue. He said society had not reached a consensus over the charging scheme. "Our resolve to promote waste reduction and recycling measures remains unchanged," Lee said. "Our goal remains unchanged, to achieve zero landfill by 2035. "Waste charging is one of the tools to promote waste reduction and recycling, but it requires social consensus. "We have carefully studied surveys and listened to the views of citizens, trades and industry. We understand a consensus has not been reached." Lee said the public had become more aware of the need to reduce waste as the amount of rubbish being sent to landfills dropped by 5 percent in the first half of this year. Average daily disposals of solid waste decreased by 7.5 percent from 2021 to 2024 while per capita disposal fell by about 8 percent, he added. Recycling volume also increased by one third during the five-year period ending 2024, Lee said, attributing the improvement to the government's multi-pronged efforts. Looking ahead, Lee said the administration would continue to promote waste reduction and recycling through various ways, such as strengthening education, as well as exploring and promoting practical and feasible environmental protection measures with industry.

Diplomatic missions in Hong Kong should perform their duties appropriately and refrain from interfering in China’s internal affairs or engaging in "destructive activities", the chief executive said. That came when John Lee was asked, during a regular press briefing ahead of his weekly Executive Council meeting, about a reception hosted by US consul general Julie Eadah, who assumed office last month, that was attended by some opposition figures. "Consuls have the responsibility to abide by relevant international conventions and established diplomatic practices," Lee said. "They should perform their duties in Hong Kong in a manner befitting their diplomatic status and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs – and Hong Kong's affairs – under any pretext or in any form. "They should respect China's sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong. I hope all consuls in Hong Kong will engage in constructive activities, not destructive activities." Eadeh paid Beijing’s top diplomat in the SAR, Cui Jianchun, a courtesy call last week. Cui urged Eadeh to "play a constructive role in promoting China-US relations, Hong Kong-US relations and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability", according to a statement by the Commissioner's Office of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong. "Ms Julie Eadeh said that she would lead the US consulate general to advance positive agendas and promote exchanges and cooperation between the US and Hong Kong," the statement added. On a separate note, Lee vowed to pursue “for life” all absconders who fled the city, after he was asked whether SAR authorities had sought to extradite Nathan Law during his recent trip to Singapore. Authorities in Singapore had denied entry to Nathan Law on Saturday, and he returned to San Francisco the next day. Local newspaper Lianhe Zaobao quoted the Ministry of Home Affairs as saying that granting Law entry was "against the interests of Singapore". "Nathan Law allegedly committed offences endangering national security. The court has issued a warrant for his arrest. He is a fugitive under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The SAR government will pursue his legal liabilities for life," Lee said. "No country should harbour criminals. Endangering national security is a serious offence and the SAR government will abide by the law and enforce it strictly, while offenders will be held accountable. "We will use all possible means to pursue criminals for life, and will not let any fugitives go unpunished."

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said the government will seriously consider bringing in a specific law to ban "storm chasing". This comes after several people were arrested last week on suspicion of child neglect for allegedly taking children to coastlines to watch the waves as Super Typhoon Ragasa hit Hong Kong. Speaking to reporters ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee described storm chasing as “irresponsible” behaviour that poses unnecessary risks to those taking part, as well as to rescue workers in the case of an accident. “The police have held people responsible for chasing winds and waves during the typhoon, arresting four individuals... This demonstrates that the government holds people accountable for acts of irresponsibility that endanger lives,” he said. “I understand that there is public support for legal measures against storm chasers. The government will conduct a comprehensive review, and the Security Bureau will carry out a study.” The CE also said that the government and community worked closely together to minimise the damage caused by Ragasa, allowing normality to be restored the day after the typhoon departed. Lee added that he has asked the steering committee on handling extreme weather to conduct a comprehensive review of their experience, to see what aspects of prevention and response can be further improved.

President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state attended a ceremony on Tuesday morning at Tiananmen Square in central Beijing to present flower baskets to fallen national heroes. The event was held to mark Martyrs' Day, a day ahead of the National Day in China. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The other leaders included Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng. They were joined by representatives from all walks of life at the ceremony. At 10 a.m., all attendees sang the national anthem, followed by a moment of silence in tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Chinese people and the development of the People's Republic of China. Nine large flower baskets were placed in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes. Xi and other leaders walked up to the foot of the monument, where he straightened the ribbons on the baskets. Then, they walked around the monument to pay their tributes. The baskets, with ribbons reading "Eternal Glory to the People's Heroes," were presented in the name of the CPC Central Committee; the National People's Congress Standing Committee; the State Council; the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; the Central Military Commission; non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and patriots without party affiliations; people's organisations and people from all walks of life; veterans, retired senior officials and the relatives of martyrs; and Chinese Young Pioneers. The ceremony was presided over by Yin Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee. (Xinhua) _____________________________ Last updated: 2025-09-30 HKT 13:16

Chief Executive John Lee says he has instructed government departments to make comprehensive preparations for an expected tourism surge during the upcoming National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays. More than 1.5 million visitors and about 1,200 tourist groups are expected during the mainland's eight-day Golden Week holiday from October 1. The CE said the chief secretary has chaired an interdepartmental meeting to coordinate festival arrangements and guide cross-agency efforts. "This includes increasing staff at border checkpoints, setting up additional counters and improving the flow of people and vehicles. During Golden Week, the Security Bureau's Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre and an interdepartmental joint command centre will be activated to closely monitor the situation," Lee said. "Transportation arrangements will also be strengthened, including an increased frequency of cross-boundary shuttle buses. MTR services will be adjusted based on actual demand." The police will deploy additional manpower to enhance crowd management at major tourist hotspots and large-scale events, including the National Day fireworks display, Lee said. The Travel Industry Authority will conduct inspections at attractions and shops to ensure tourists receive proper treatment, the CE added. To improve the tourist experience, efforts will be made to combat bad business practices and illegal activities, such as taxis overcharging or refusing to pick up passengers. The chief executive noted that tourists can also check waiting times for major attractions - including the Peak Tram, Ocean Park and Disneyland - through a one-stop portal.

US President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponents appeared to make little progress at a White House meeting aimed at heading off a government shutdown that could disrupt a wide range of services as soon as Wednesday. Both sides emerged from the meeting saying the other would be at fault if Congress fails to extend government funding beyond a Tuesday midnight deadline. "I think we're headed to a shutdown," Vice President JD Vance said. Democrats say any agreement to extend that deadline must also preserve expiring health benefits, while Trump's Republicans insist health and government funding must be dealt with as separate issues. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the two sides "have very large differences." If Congress does not act, thousands of federal government workers could be furloughed, from Nasa to the national parks, and a wide range of services would be disrupted. Federal courts might have to close and grants for small businesses could be delayed. Trump is threatening to extend his purge of the federal workforce if Congress allows the government to shut down. Only a handful of agencies have so far published plans detailing how they would proceed in the event of a shutdown. At issue is US$1.7 trillion in "discretionary" spending that funds agency operations, which amounts to roughly one-quarter of the government's total US$7 trillion budget. Much of the remainder goes to health and retirement programs and interest payments on the growing US$37.5 trillion debt. Prior to the White House meeting, Democrats floated a plan that would extend current funding for seven to 10 days, according to Democratic sources, which could buy time to hammer out a more permanent agreement. That is shorter than the timeline backed by Republicans, which would extend funding to November 21. After returning to the Capitol, Schumer told reporters he would not accept a shorter funding bill. Senate Republican Leader John Thune sought to pile pressure on Democrats by scheduling a Tuesday vote on the Republican bill, which has already failed once in the Senate. Healthcare is a key issue. Roughly 24 million Americans who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act will see their costs rise if Congress does not extend temporary tax breaks due to expire at the end of this year. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Congress needs to make those tax breaks permanent now because higher health insurance premiums are being finalized and the new signup period starts November 1. "We believe that simply accepting the Republican plan to continue to assault and gut healthcare is unacceptable," Jeffries said at a Monday press conference. Republicans say they are willing to consider the issue, but not as part of a temporary spending patch. "They had some ideas that I actually thought were reasonable, and they had some ideas that the president thought was reasonable. What's not reasonable is to hold those ideas as leverage and to shut down the government," Vance said. (Reuters)