

Hong Kong Today
Description:
RTHK's morning news programme. Weekdays 6:30 - 8:00
Presenter:
Ben Tse and Vicky Wong2023-03-08
Wednesday
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Selected audio segments:
China warns of conflict unless US changes course
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The White House national security spokesman says he sees no change in the US approach to China after Beijing accused Washington of risking conflict. John Kirby said Washington sought a "competitive" relationship with China. Earlier, Foreign Minister Qin Gang said the United States was turning the downing of an unmanned aircraft into a diplomatic crisis which revealed Washington’s 'distorted' perception of China. In February, the US shot down the 200-foot aircraft off the coast of South Carolina. Beijing said it was a weather balloon that had blown off course. Qin says the hostile move showed that the US saw China as its primary rival. Kelly Yu reports from Beijing:
Seventh suspect arrested in socialite murder
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A seventh person has been arrested in connection with the murder of socialite Abby Choi. The suspect was picked up by authorities on the mainland and handed over to Hong Kong police. Frank Yung reports:
AI chatbots used in phishing attacks
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A cybersecurity watchdog says the number of phishing attacks in Hong Kong surpassed 10,000 for the first time in the latest quarter, totalling over 13,000 cases. Over 80 percent of the detected phishing websites was related to credit cards. The Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre also warned that cyber-criminals were using AI tools to launch these attacks. Alex Chan, a spokesperson for the centre, told Ada Au how the AI chatbot, ChatGPT, played a part in phishing attacks:
Rise in cyber crime an 'irreversible trend'
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IT sector lawmaker, Duncan Chiu, says the rise in cases of phishing or other kinds of internet fraud is an "irreversible trend", given the widespread use of the internet. He said the government needed to continually raise public awareness over new types of cybercrime, as well as help small and medium-sized enterprises invest in cyber protection solutions. Chiu spoke to Vicky Wong:
Boost child care services to lift birth rate
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There are fresh calls for the government to strengthen child care support to help tackle Hong Kong's declining birth rate. In a survey by the New People's Party, some 500 mothers with at least one child were asked what would motivate them to have another. Among their responses were having their spouse help more with household chores and tax deductions for hiring foreign domestic helpers. Party member Judy Chan told Jacqueline Guico that financial incentives alone would not resolve the problem:
40 percent of under 30s think they're poor
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Lingnan University says young people have to earn at least $70 an hour to meet their basic expenditures, with most believing they are underpaid. Between May and December, the university interviewed about 480 people aged between 18 and 29, earning less than $20,000 a month. It found most had long working hours and low wages and 40 percent considered themselves as living in poverty. Professor Pun Ngai of the university's Department of Sociology spoke to Vanessa Cheng:
HK delegates urged to help SAR's prosperity
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State leader Zhao Leji has urged local delegates to the National People's Congress to contribute to the SAR's long-term prosperity and integration into the nation's development. He was speaking when he met the delegates on the sidelines of the NPC annual session, currently underway in Beijing. Kelly Yu reports from the capital:
Tang hopes arts hub can promote 'East meets West'
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CPPCC Standing Committee member and chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District, Henry Tang, says Hong Kong must make use of its unique geopolitical advantages to bring East and West together. Tang has vowed to develop the district into a cultural hub in the Greater Bay Area. He has floated the idea of organising an arts and cultural summit here, to lure mainland and overseas tourists. Tang spoke to Kelly Yu on the sidelines of the “two sessions” in Beijing:
Ticket sales resume for Guangdong destinations
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Tickets have gone on sale for high-speed rail destinations across Guangdong, with services further afield than Shenzhen and Guangzhou set to resume in phases from Saturday. Leung Pak-hei reports: