HK to test for more cancers

Lo says the new screenings will be for lung, liver and cervical cancers

Hong Kong’s plan to roll out more screening schemes for cancer will target lung, liver and cervical cancers, Secretary for Health Lo Chung Mau said Sunday.

These are on top of the screening programs already in place for colorectal cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer.

Lo told reporters after a radio interview that cancer is the number one killer in Hong Kong, claiming the lives of 15,000 people year, so early diagnosis is important.

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He said artificial intelligence or AI will be used for the screening of lung cancer, which afflicts the most number of people in Hong Kong.

A local university will be tapped to conduct the AI-aided screening, which will target individuals with a history of lung cancer in the family. The program is expected to start early next year.

As for liver cancer, he said the government will look for possible carriers of hepatitis B, which is the cause of 80% of all liver cancers.

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To do this, the government will incorporate the testing in its Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme, which is at present targeting patients with high blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol level.

As with the existing scheme, he said, “the percentage of subsidy and co-care will be roughly in half-half.”

He said the liver cancer screening will be rolled out in phases and will initially target high-risk individuals, including those born before 1988 and did not receive the universal hepatitis B vaccination, as well as family members of the virus carriers.

“We estimate there will still be roughly over 400,000 chronic hepatitis B carriers, and 40 percent of them…don’t know that they are carriers themselves,” said Lo.

“The most common …among those are the family members, so these are the targets we are looking at, and that will be the program we are rolling out.”

He said there are roughly 700,000 family members of chronic hepatitis B carriers and about 40 percent of them, or 300,000 are eligible for screening.

The last scheme will involve testing for the human papillomavirus or HPV, which almost always causes cervical cancer.

Currently, cervical cancer screenings are provided at maternal and child care centers and clinics run by non-government organizations, which charge a nominal fee.

Women aged 25 to 65 who have had sex are urged to do the test annually, as they are the most vulnerable to HPV infection.

 

Signal No 8 to remain until 8pm at least

 

Water barriers set up near the Lei Yue Mun pier (HK Free Press photo)

The Hong Kong Observatory has lowered Hurricane Signal No 10 to 8 at 1:20pm today, Wednesday, as Super Typhoon Ragasa spared the city from a direct hit, passing 120km around the south of Hong Kong earlier this morning. 

However, forecasters warned the public to remain alert, saying strong winds are still affecting many places of the territory. 

They also said the T8 signal will remain in place until 8pm tonight, and depending on how local winds weaken in the next few hours, it will be lowered to T3, which means all public transportation will resume service.

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Ragasa brought with it wind gusts exceeding 200 km per hour to some exposed and offshore areas, but the bigger part of the city only experienced around 100 km/hr winds. 

Despite warnings that Ragasa was stronger than Super Typhoon Mangkhut which wreaked extensive havoc in Hong Kong in 2018, the number of fallen trees this time appeared smaller, and reports of flooding and landslide were far lower. 

As of noon today, authorities received 437 reports of fallen trees while 15 reports of flooding, and one of landslide were recorded at 1pm.

A total of 62 people had sought treatment at public hospitals for various injuries as of noon.

This was despite photos and videos on social media showing major storm surges in coastal areas, including Victoria Harbour, Tai Po Kau and Tsim Bei Tsui where water levels rose up to 3.8 meters.

Man looks helplessly as waves crashed through the glass doors of Ocean Park Fullerton

A video that has gone viral showed waves crashing through the glass door of The Ocean Park Fullerton Hotel beside Ocean Park in Aberdeen, and a man in the lobby being washed away by the floodwaters.

However, the hotel later said no one was injured in the incident, and that it has immediately deployed additional staff to clean up the debris brought by the floodwaters. It has also assured that all its guests are safe and comfortable.

Ragasa caused the T10 signal to remain hoisted for 10 hours and 40 minutes, just 20 minutes shorter than the longest T10 ever raised for Typhoon York in 1999.

The super typhoon caused T8 to be raised at 2:20pm yesterday, then elevated to T9 at 2:20am today, before being raised further to T10 at 3:20am.

 

 

ICC charges Duterte with 3 counts of crimes against humanity

Duterte at his first appearance at ICC in The Hague

Former Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte has been charged with crimes against humanity for the dozens of murders that allegedly took place as part of his so-called war on drugs, launched between 2016 and 2018; and earlier killings while he was mayor of Davao City.

The 80-year-old who is detained at the ICC jail at The Hague, faces three charges: the first over his alleged involvement in the killings of 19 people between 2013 and 2016, while he was mayor of Davao City; the second involves 14 victims of targeted killings from 2016 to 2017; and the third, for the 43 people who died during so-called clearance operations between 2016 and 2018.

The ICC's charge sheet, which includes several redactions, dates from July but was only made public on Monday.

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Duterte is the first Asian head of state to be indicted by the ICC. He was flown in March to the The Hague in the Netherlands where the court is based, and has been detained there since.

Recently, his lawyers asked that Duterte not be indicted, citing his supposed poor mental state.

ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said Duterte was an "indirect co-perpetrator" in the killings, which were allegedly carried out by others, including police, on his orders.

Prosecutors alleged how Duterte and his co-perpetrators "shared a common plan or agreement to 'neutralise' alleged criminals in the Philippines (including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production) through violent crimes including murder".

The former leader who was called “The Punisher” during his term, has offered no apologies for the brutal “tokhang” killings of supposed drug addicts and pushers. Official figures put the number of victims to more than 6,000 but human rights activists say it could actually run in the tens of thousands.

Duterte said his anti-drugs crackdown was necessary to rid the country of street crimes, but critics saw it as his way of instilling fear and solidifying support for him and his allies.

Despite his detention, Duterte was again elected mayor of  Davao City in 2022. His youngest son, Sebastian Duterte has served as mayor in his stead.

 

Pinoy student to face rape, child-porn cases in DC

The rape allegedly took place in one of these buildings (Google Maps photo)

A case against a 16-year-old Filipino student accused of rape and publishing child pornography before the Eastern Court, was adjourned today prior to its elevation to the District Court.

Prosecutors asked for the adjournment of the case against L. U. for the preparation of transfer papers. Principal Magistrate David Cheung granted the request by scheduling a new hearing for Oct. 14.

The student is accused of raping X last Feb. 14 inside the Bonham Commercial Center in Sheung Wan, in violation of section 118(1) of the Crimes Ordinance.

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A second charge accuses him of publishing eight nude photo of X between Feb. 7 and March 21 this year, in violation of section 3(2) of the Prevention of Child Pornography Ordinance.

Hong Kong magistrate courts normally elevate rape cases to a higher court as these are beyond the magistrate's sentencing power.

 

Free tram and ferry rides, other treats on China’s National Day

 

Free tram sides are given as treats to the public on many significant occasions

A series of special offers, including free rides on all tram routes and several on ferries, will be made available to the public on October 1, in celebration of the 76^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s  Republic of China.

The MTR will give away 76,000 single journey e-tickets to the public through a lucky draw on the same day, while children can ride most bus routes of KMB, Long Win Bus, Citybus and New Lantao Bus for free.

All commercial cinemas will also provide tickets to movies at half the price, while all sports venues and museums run by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will offer free admission. Everyone can also enter the Hong Kong Wetland Park for free.

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Free guided tours and dining, consumption and accommodation offers currently provided by the Revitalising Historic Building through Partnership Scheme will be expanded from mid-September until late October as part of the celebration.

Joining in the fun are more than 1,000 restaurants and merchants that will provide discounted meals, while several public markets will also roll out different offers. Shoppers at the “Local Fresh” stores, whether virtual, physical or mobile app, will also get a 24% discount on selected products.

Ngong Ping 360 and Ocean Park, two of Hong Kong’s top tourist attractions, will offer ticket discounts, while Tai Kwun, the Peak Tram and Madame Tussauds will give out souvenirs to patrons.

The West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong Jockey Club and HK Trade Development Council as well as over 100 shopping malls and department stores will roll out shopping, dining or parking offers.

More freebies and other special treats from some government departments and organizations will be announced in due course.

To get information about the offers and special activities, check out the dedicated website, www.nationalday76.gov.hk.

 

 

 

 

Cinta-J to close down after 42 years

 

Allen Lee (in black) join his golfing buddies including ex-Labatt Bernie Julve
 (in green at back) for a final photo at Cinta-J

It was a night that recalled the happy times of the 80s and the 90s when Wan Chai was the place to be for late-night dining and drinking in Hong Kong, and Cinta-J restaurant and bar was where most Filipinos ended up in, for a taste of comfort food from back home and singers who obliged their penchant for karaoke and dancing.

After 42 years being at the center of fun and entertainment for most Filipinos in Hong Kong, Cinta-J at no 69 Jaffe Road (which explains the J in its name) is closing down at the end of the month.

On that particular Wednesday night, Sept. 3, many of its old customers who gathered there to party ended up getting nostalgic, as they realized that it could be the last time they would be spending their happy hours there.

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Among those who said goodbye to their favorite watering hole was former Labor Attache to Hong Kong Bernie Julve and his golfing and drinking buddies who used to gather at Cinta-J before, or after, a golf game.  They all realized going out on golf trips would not be as fun without their favorite pit-stop.

In another part of the restaurant, a group of longtime residents celebrated a birthday, and as before, spent the rest of the night dancing and singing with the in-house band. There could never be another place where they could let their hair down, and feel right at home.

Allen Lee with his son Bryan and daughter-in-law Cris

Cinta-J’s founder and owner, 83-year-old Allen Lee, said the Malaysian Consulate building where his resto-bar is housed has been sold, and given the current tepid catering industry and high property prices, it would not be prudent to continue operating it.

But his son Bryan and daughter-in-law Cris who have been running the place for the past several years remain upbeat, saying they are still hoping to find a new place where they can carry on the business.

Many longtime customers of Cinta-J would likely welcome a reopening, but Cinta away from Jaffe Road - - where they had the most fun eating Filipino or Indonesian food dancing and singing to their hearts’ content - would never be the same.

At its heyday, when Hong Kong was the favorite place for R&R by seafarers from all over the world, Cinta-J was often packed and pulsating. It could either be fun or rowdy, or both, but always with the best music in town.

A visit to Cinta-J is never complete without the singing & dancing

The all-night partying started to slow down about 10 years ago when China started rejecting berthing requests from ships, particularly those from the US navy, amid rising political tension.

Cinta-J managed to pull through, only to suffer another setback when massive anti-government protests erupted across Hong Kong from 2018 to 2019, with Wan Chai becoming one of the flash points.

Just as things were starting to quiet down, the Covid-19 pandemic happened, and the catering sector once more took a direct hit. Cinta-J, along with several bars on Jaffe, were among the worst hit. (See report here: https://www.sunwebhk.com/search?q=Cinta+J)

Getting back up from all those whammies have been difficult, but losing the place it has called home for decades was what hastened the Lees’ decision to shut down the business they nurtured for so long, for good.

Poster for the final group farewell to Cinta-J organized by the UPAA-HK

As a tribute to those happy times, a group of Filipino residents led by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association is preparing to hold a final farewell to Cinta-J on September 24, six days before it is finally shuttered.

Special guest for the evening will be Cinta-J’s most beloved singer Nicky Flores, who will be taking to the stage again together with his wife and former singing partner, Merly. Surprise numbers will also be presented.

To book a ticket, please see the poster above or call Cath at 9536 0166

 

 

Mysterious images show up on Filipina driver’s car monitor

 

Mercy's dashboard shows 3 people ahead though there is nobody else around 

(Contributed by Ramon Dizon, Jr.)

Strange things have happened since the employer of Filipina driver Mercy Permales bought a new family car.

Mysterious, ghost-like images that are not visible to the naked eye have begun to show up on the sensor monitor of the Maxus-Mifa7 MPV (multi purpose vehicle) that Mercy now drives.

She started seeing them at about 3am in November last year, as she was preparing to pick up her employer from the airport. Given the time, there were no other people around their Stubbs Road carpark and everything was quiet, until the car’s sensor emitted a sound after she turned on the engine.

Mercy got the shock of her life when she saw the images of four people appear on the car’s monitor. She immediately turned off the engine, then restarted it, hoping the monitor would clear up, but the images were still there.

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Seeing that the strange vision would not disappear on her third try, Mercy decided to get off and check her surroundings. She confirmed nobody was around, but the images that were slightly moving remained on the monitor.

Afterwards, she would see the “people” popping up on the car monitor whenever she was leaving their estate’s carpark. Sometimes there would be three, other times, two; and at other times, just one.

The weirdest was the image of a child on a bicycle, a helmet covering his face, that suddenly appeared on the monitor.

By this time, Mercy had gotten used to seeing the images on her car’s monitor that she started recording the incidents on video and posting them on her Facebook page ( here is one of her reels: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1209329267435472) to the amusement – and oftentimes, horror – of her social media friends.

Mercy is  no longer spooked by 'haunted' car

What makes the experience even weirder for Mercy is that it happens not just in the evening or early morning, but also in broad daylight. The images would also appear in different parts of the ground-level carpark even if there are no other people around. 

One of her neighbors said someone who lived in the building had committed suicide, but Mercy could not independently confirm this. Another who never saw the strange sightings told her, nevertheless, that she often hears an unseen baby crying in the same location.

She has consulted with friends in the same building who drive the same car make, but they all told her that the eerie phenomenon she has experienced has never happened to them.

“Pinagtatawanan nga nila ako,” Mercy said. (They just laugh at me).

At the advice of a friend, Mercy had the car’s software updated last month, but the images still show up. 

The first time Mercy saw the strange figures there were 4 of them

Like most new electric vehicles, the Maxus-Mifa7 is equipped with the Advanced Driver Assistance System or ADAS, which is made up of cameras, sensor, processing unit, alarms and monitor.

The images caught by the system’s camera undergo a process that results in a bird’s eye-view of the space ahead showing up on the monitor. When the sensors detect the object or objects they emit an alarm to alert the driver.

However, at the very least, there should be an actual object ahead for the alarm to be triggered.

Another Filipino driver who lives in Belleview Drive, Repulse Bay, said he has also driven a Mifa7, and confirmed that he would sometimes see images that are on “standby” on the monitor screen. These would move when actual people pass by. But he has never experienced what Mercy keeps seeing on her car’s monitor.

With the passing of time, Mercy, a seasoned taekwondo practitioner, has come to take the experience in stride, attributing it merely to the car’s sensor that is so sensitive it can detect even “non-entities.” 

But to be safe, she has taken to paying respects to the images that keep popping up on the monitor.

She would say, “Excuse me, makikiraan po,” (Excuse me, please, let me pass) before driving away.

 

HK FDW group hits out at call to freeze their salary

 

AMCB demands a minimum 'living wage' of $6712 for foreign domestic workers

A multi-ethnic group of foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong has blasted at a call made recently by a pro-employer organization to freeze their monthly minimum wage which now stands at $4,990.

The Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) said in a statement issued Sunday that FDWs should not be used as “scapegoats” for the hardships experienced by employers.

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“The Hong Kong government must address the crisis,” said the AMCB.

Recently, the Quadripartite Alliance for Harmonious Employment Practices staged a protest outside the Labor Department office in Sheung Wan to call for a freeze of the minimum allowable wage set for FDWs, in light of the recent economic downturn, and a spike in the unemployment figure.

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The AMCB is calling for a monthly salary of at least $6,172 which they say is the least that migrant workers and their families need to be able to live more comfortably. If food allowance is provided, this should be at least $3,123 a month.

According to the AMCB reaction, the current MAW of $4,990 is already very low, as FDWs remain excluded from the statutory minimum wage in Hong Kong, even if they, too, are affected by the rising inflation, and spend part of their salary here.

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Apart from the low wages, FDWs also suffer from having to work long hours because they live with their employers, said AMCB.

“If the employers are struggling, they should demand the Hong Kong government to address the unemployment rate, stop the inflation and other fees and expenses like house rent, transportation, etc,” AMCB added.

Hong Kong’s Labour Department is currently conducting its annual review of the MAW, and has sought the opinion of stakeholders, including AMCB and a number of non-government organizations supporting higher wages for FDWs.

 

HK Immigration raids illegal dental clinic allegedly run by Filipino DHs

 

Immigration officers usher the 6 fake dentists from their 'dirty' clinic to a waiting van

Six Filipino domestic helpers have been arrested for allegedly providing illegal dental services from a subdivided unit in Sham Shui Po, which immigration officers have described as dirty and unhygienic

The six, all women aged 34 to 60, were providing the unlicensed dental treatments, with two of them acting as “dentists” while the other four served as their assistants.

Thirteen other Filipinos were found inside the makeshift clinic, apparently customers seeking treatment.

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Chief Immigration Office Tai Koon-ho said at a press conference that none of those arrested possesses professional dental qualifications or training.

Some of them claimed to have learned dentistry through online videos, while one said she had worked as a dental assistant in the Philippines.

Yet, they provided dental services such as teeth cleaning, orthodontic treatment and even denture making to fellow FDWs, charging between $150 and $500 per procedure.-

Tai said initial investigations revealed the group operated in their secluded base every Sunday, attracting clients through word-of-mouth endorsements.

Seized in the raid were various instruments for teeth cleaning, braces and denture making.

Officers were appalled at the hygiene conditions in their place of operation, calling them “deplorable.”

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"The so-called surgery room merely contained a sofa, distilled water, tissues, towels, air fresheners, a wash basin and rudimentary surgical instruments.

"When we arrested the so-called dentists, they were wearing ordinary clothes. There was no evidence that their clothing, medical supplies or tools had undergone any sterilisation.

"Medical waste was also discarded haphazardly, posing a significant risk of cross-infection,” said Tai.

 The six are now being held on suspicion of violating their conditions of stay and for practicing dentistry without registration, and are expected to be charged.

 None of their employers were reportedly aware of their illicit activities.

Immigration warns more arrests could follow while they continue their investigation.

2 Pinay DHs get jail sentences for theft

 

Filipina admitted stealing jewelry and cash (Photo for illustration only)

Two Filipina domestic helpers today pleaded guilty to stealing money and jewelry from their employers, and were jailed for 12 months and two months, respectively.

Jovy Santiago, 32 years old, received  the one-year  sentence from a Acting Principal Magistrate Daniel Tang Siu-hung after she pleaded guilty at Tuen Mun Court to stealing $211,800 worth of jewelry and cash from her employer’s home in Shek Wu Ting in Pat Heung, Yuen Long.

The stolen items consisted of a pair of gold bracelets worth $85,000, two gold bracelets worth $20,000, two diamond rings worth $58,800, one baby gold bracelet worth $8,000, one gold ring worth $18,000, HK$5,000 in cash, 10,000 renminbi in cash, and one necklace worth $7,000.

The thefts were committed between Feb. 1 and March 3 this year, according to the brief facts filed in court by the Yuen Long Police.

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In a separate case, Aubrey Canusa, 37 years old, was jailed for two months by Magistrate Li Chi-ho, after she pleaded guilty in West Kowloon Court to stealing a wallet containing $25,000 from her employer who lived at Banyan Garden on Lai Chi Kok Road in Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon.

The theft took place on an unknown date between Jan. 22 and May 1 this year, according to information filed by the Sham Shui Po Police.

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Meanwhile, a third Filipina accused of theft was remanded in jail after her case was adjourned by Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung at Eastern Court.

Magistrate Cheung set a hearing for Mylyn Masajo, 34 years old, on September 23 for plea.

She is accused of eight counts of theft allegedly committed between Feb. 15 and June 5 this year at her employer’s home in Harbour Heights in North Point.

 

 

 

Shops pull out sodas from shelves following urine contamination case

 

Police brief the press on case (The Standard photo)

If you can’t find Coca Cola Plus and 7-Up in Wellcome or ParkNShop these days, no need to worry. They were pulled out as an offshoot of a nasty vendetta but will be back soon.

The two brands of softdrinks were pulled from their shelves as a precaution following a case in West Kowloon where a 63-year-old man surnamed Law refilled bottles of the two soda brands with his own urine and then returned them to a supermarket’s shelves as retaliation for its staff being rude.

The offense came to light after a nine-year-old boy purchased a contaminated bottle of Coke Plus, felt unwell after drinking it and was taken to hospital. It was found later that the Coke Plus he drank was contaminated with urine.

His mother complained to police, who traced the contaminated bottle to Law.

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Alerted by police, supermarket staff inspected their shelves and found more tampered bottles, which they removed from shelves.

Wellcome said it takes the incident very seriously and has pulled the two soda brands from its stores to inspect the bottles if they had been contaminated. 

ParkNShop said all branches have been instructed to remove these two items from shelves and step up store inspections, although it has yet to receive customer complaints about contaminated products.

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Police have arrested the unemployed suspect who lived alone in Sham Shui Po. Seized from him were clothes, a backpack, a bottle of urine, and several unopened soda bottles.

In a statement, the police condemned the suspect’s actions as "not only a food safety violation but also a vile crime" as it poses a serious public health risk.

He is expected to face criminal charges at the West Kowloon Court.

Chikungunya cases in HK remain at 5, but anti-mosquito drive strengthened

 

 Port Health Division staff members conduct an inspection at the Hong Kong-Macau
Ferry Terminal to strengthen anti-mosquito measures

No new case of chikungunya fever was reported today and the number of this year’s cases remains at five, but the Hong Kong government continues to strengthen efforts in mosquito control and elimination to prevent an outbreak.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said it will continue to strengthen its surveillance work and advised residents to maintain strict environmental hygiene, control of the Aedes albopictus mosquito whch spreads the disease, and personal protective measures to avoid mosquito bites both locally and when travelling outside of Hong Kong.

CHP said all five CF cases this year were imported. From 2016 to 2019, between one and 11 CF cases were recorded in Hong Kong each year, all of which were also imported cases.

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“In view of the occurrence of multiple imported cases in Hong Kong,” the CHP said, “the risk of secondary local transmission via mosquitoes exists.”

The CHP will again remind doctors to arrange testing for patients with CF symptoms, regardless of travel history. The CHP's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch will provide free testing to ensure rapid diagnosis.

The CHP also appealed to the public, through information campaigns such as Info Stations across various districts in Hong Kong and health talks at more than 300 health promotion activities provided to the elderly and their carers, to observe precautions for preventing CF.

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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) also appealed to members of the public to help carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, and properly disposing of containers such as soft drink cans and lunch boxes.

The FEHD also advised members of the public and estate management bodies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.

“The effectiveness of mosquito control relies on the concerted efforts and active participation of stakeholders from various sectors, including pest control operators in both public and private sectors, venue management and the general public, to prevent CF,” FEHD said.