Facebook apologizes for 6-hour shutdown

By The SUN 

Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger & Instagram were all out in HK overnight

Facebook and its related apps, including Instagram and WhatsApp, were out for about six hours Monday (early Tuesday in Hong Kong and the Philippines), jarring nerves and sparking fears among people who depend on the social media platform for business and as a vital means of communication.

Facebook’s apps, which included Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram and oculus, began displaying error messages around 11:40 pm Hong Kong time (11:40am Eastern time and 5:40pm GMT). Within minutes, they all disappeared on the internet.

Luckily for those who are in Hong Kong, the Philippines and other places with the same time zone, the outage hardly affected people’s lives as it happened overnight. Still, it took quite a number of people to realize that it was not their connection or their phones that were not working, but the ever-mighty Facebook and its family of apps.

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But for most of its 3.5 billion users across the globe, there was immediate concern as there was no immediate word on what could be happening, and how long it would take.

Ironically, Facebook had to resort to using its rival app, Twitter, to issue a series of apologies over the outage.

“We’re aware that some people are having trouble accessing our apps and products. We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible, and we apologize for any inconvenience,” said one tweet.

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Another said, “To the huge community of people and businesses around the world who depend on us: we're sorry. We’ve been working hard to restore access to our apps and services and are happy to report they are coming back online now. Thank you for bearing with us.”

Facebook said the crash was caused by changes to its internet infrastructure that coordinates the traffic between its data centers. This interrupted communications and eventually brought all its services to a halt.

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A team from the company had to manually reset Facebook’s server computers from a data center in Santa Clara, California to enable the apps to start working again.

This was one of the messages that appeared shortly after FB crashed

Even so, the impact was far-reaching and severe in some places, especially the United States where it happened during busy work hours.

Some companies that depended on selling merchandise through Facebook and Instagram, in particular, were hard-hit. Consumers, on the other hand, complained of not being able to log in to their shopping websites or sign into their smart TVs and other internet-connected devices.

It also struck fear in the hearts of companies and groups that use the different platforms to communicate with friends and family, express or distribute political advocacies, or expand their businesses through advertising and gaining followers.

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The fiasco adds fuel to the controversy sparked by a former Facebook product manager who shared data showing that the company knew of many harms that its services were causing, including Instagram making teenage girls feel worse about themselves.

This is not the first time a technical glitz caused havoc to the tech giant. In 2019, a technical error affected Facebook’s sites for 24 hours, serving as a reminder that all it takes to bring down the world’s most powerful internet company is a slight hiccup.

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HK records hottest September ever

By The SUN

Record temperatures on Sept 22, a statutory holiday, failed to stop
 these Filipinas from having fun (Facebook photo)

September 2021 will go down Hong Kong’s history books as the hottest September on record.

The average maximum temperature recorded for the month was 32.8 degrees, monthly mean average was 29.7 degrees, and the minimum average was 27.8 degrees.

These are 2.3 degrees, 1.8 degrees and 1.7 degrees above the corresponding normal figures between 1981 to 2010, making all of them the highest on record for September.

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A statement released by the government today, Oct 5, said the historic spike in temperatures last month was due to “stronger than usual subtropical ridge over South China.”

More records were set last month, when 15 very hot days and 11 hot nights were recorded.

From January to September this year, a total of 53 hot days and 57 hot nights were recorded – which both exceeded the figures recorded in 2020.

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September 2021 was also much drier than usual with a total rainfall of just 129.6 millimetres, or about 40 percent less than the normal figure of 321.4mm (or about 40 per cent of the 1981-2010 normal of 327.6mm).

As such, the accumulated rainfall recorded in the first nine months of the year was 1 650.7mm, about 26 per cent below the normal figure of 2 242.8mm for the same period (or about 26 per cent below the 1981-2010 normal of 2 233.1mm).

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For most of the time from Sept 1 to 12, the weather in the city was sunny and very hot, apart from a few showers and isolated thunderstorms.

But temperatures peaked at 34.5 degrees on Sept 12, which the Observatory attributed to the extreme heat brought about the departure of Typhoon Chanthu from Hong Kong.

The daily mean temperature of 31.2 degrees on that day was the joint highest on record for September.   

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The high temperatures triggered thunders with some showers in some parts of the city from Sept 13 to 17.

The daily minimum temperature of 29.5 degrees on Sept 13 was the joint highest on record for September.

The extreme temperatures caused hail to fall over TKO on Sept 16

On Sept 16 hail was reported at around 1pm in Tseung Kwan O, along with more than 100 millimeters of rainfall. On the same day, a man was reported to have died after being struck by lightning in Clear Water Bay that afternoon.  

There were a few showers and isolated thunderstorms with sunny periods from Sept 18 to 19, then more sunny periods over the Mid-Autumn Festival from Sept 20 to 22, with the heat triggering showers and thunder.

With plenty of sunshine, the temperature recorded at the Observatory soared to a high of 34 degrees in the afternoon of Sept. 22, making it the hottest day following the Mid-Autumn Festival on record.      

Occasional showers and squally thunderstorms cooled temperatures to a minimum of 26 degrees, the lowest for the month. However, this was still the highest monthly minimum temperature recorded for September.

The weather remained sunny on Sept 24 to 26, then gradually turned mainly fine towards the end of the month due to some isolated showers and thunderstorms.

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Indo DH arrested over phone scams on elderly women

By The SUN 

Police ssuspect the helper was the one who collected the $210k from the victims

Police have arrested a 52-year-old Indonesian domestic helper for her alleged role in a telephone scam that resulted in two elderly women losing $210,000.

The report came during a press briefing by Kowloon East chief inspector Mok Tsz-wai earlier today, Oct 5.

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The helper was reportedly paid $3,000 to help a gang collect the money from the victims on two separate days last month.

In the first case, a 71-year-old woman received a call on Sept 6 at her home in Kennedy Town from someone who said her son was arrested after he got drunk, and that $110,000 was needed to bail him out.

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At the caller’s instruction, the woman handed the money on the same day to another woman the police believe was the suspect, at Kowloon City Park. But on Sept 22 the victim met her son and realized she had been scammed.

A similar case happened on Sept 9 when an 81-year-old woman received a call from someone who claimed to be her son. The caller said he needed $100,000 for bail after he got arrested while drunk.

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Again, the victim went to Kowloon City Park and gave the money to a woman. The victim realized she had been scammed when she met her son on Sept 13.

Police statistics show the number of scams more than doubled  last year

Police say that instead of asking victims to transfer money to bank accounts, scammers now ask that the money be handed over in person. This is because bank staff are reportedly more alert about scams, aside from the transfer being easily traced.

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Chief Insp Mok also said scammers are now using other tactics, like pretending to be a person in authority, instead of being a mere family member in distress.

He cited the recent case of a 12-year-old boy who received a call from someone pretending to be his teacher, who said he needed money to bail himself out after being  arrested for prostitution.

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3 FDHs in quarantine among 7 new cases reported

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Two of the FDHs had been in Penny's Bay since Sept 22 when they tested positive

Seven new imported cases of Covid-19 were reported today, Oct 5. All were found to carry mutant strains of the coronavirus, and all are fully vaccinated.

Among them are three Filipina domestic workers who were in quarantine when detected. Two were in Penny’s Bay quarantine centre, and the third at Silka Tsuen Wan hotel.

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Two, aged 24 and 31, flew in via CX 906 on Sept 22, and tested positive on their 12^th day in quarantine at Penny’s Bay. Both are asymptomatic, but tested positive for the L452R mutant strain.

The younger one had two doses of the BioNTech (Pfizer) vaccine in the Philippines on Jul 7 and 30 while the other one had the single-dose Johnson& Johnson jab on Jul 28.

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The third FDH came via PR300 on Oct 1 and stayed at Silka Tsuen Wan, where she tested positive on her third-day sample. She was found to have the N501Y strain. She had the BioNTech vaccine in the Philippines on Jul 19 and Oct 10.

The 3rd FDH was in Silka Tsuen Wan when she was found infected

Two other passengers both flew in via EK384, one on Oct 1 and another on Oct 3, and were found to have the L452R strain.

One of them, a 46-year-old female, came from Pakistan on Oct 3, and reported developing symptoms on her arrival, when she also tested positive for Covid-19. She had two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Pakistan on May 18 and Jul 25.

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The other one, a 19-year-old male, came on Oct 1 and was in quarantine at Dorsett Hotel in Tsuen Wan when he tested positive on his third-day test. He had Covishield jabs in India on Jun 9 and Jul 17.

The two remaining passengers both flew in via QR818 on Sept 22, and tested positive on their 12^th day in quarantine.

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One, a 40-year-old man, had originally come from Kenya and was staying at Ramada Grand Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui when he was found to have the L452R mutant strain. He had the Sinovac jabs in Pakistan on May 20 and Jun 22. He was asymptomatic.

The other is also a 40-year-old male from Egypt who developed symptoms on Oct 1. He was staying Ramada Grand View Hotel in North Point when he tested positive for the N501Y strain. He received two jabs of AstraZeneca in India on Jun 18 and Jul 19.

The patients took Hong Kong’s total number of infections to 12,238.

The Centre for Health Protection reminded residents of block 1 at Grand Garden in Repulse Bay to get tested for Covid-19 by tomorrow.

A 14-year-old girl living in the estate tested positive for coronavirus after flying to the United Kingdom last month.

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Overseas voting registrants continue to swamp Consulate

By Vir B. Lumicao 

After lining up for hours, most would-be registrants still managed to remain cheerful

More than a thousand Filipino workers lined up again at the Consulate Sunday, as the overseas voter registration resumed after a two-day halt.

The registration of voters was supposed to end on Sept 30, but a last-minute decision by the Commission on Elections allowed the list-up abroad for the May 2022 presidential vote to continue until Oct 14.

Before 4pm, more than 400 were still queued up on the second floor corridors of United Centre building where the Consulate officers are, and on the attached footbridge leading to the government offices at Tamar.

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The extended area served as the holding place for the registrants, who were called in batches of 20, then led to the PCG conference room where they were to wait for their turn to approach the service counters.

Tired but determined, the registrants sit in the corridors while waiting to be allowed upstairs

In the public hall where the registration counters are, Consulate staff who were done with the day’s transaction helped the OVR Team led by Consul Bob Quintin to arrange chairs in rows of 10, in preparation for seating the crowd downstairs.

Consul Quintin later confirmed that the crowd was as big as the one the previous Sunday when more than 900 people came to register, forcing staff to stay beyond 1am.

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“Probably the same as last time,” Quintin said when asked about what time he expected to finish registering the batch that made it to the cut-off time of 4pm.

According to those who patiently lined up to enlist for the election, those in front of the queue had arrived as early as 3am. The early birds had to wait on the footbridge for the United Centre security to open the gates into the building.

A number came by on Saturday, hoping that the Consulate would be open for registration as in the past four weeks, but were told to return the next day.

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Unlike in the past few weeks, no queuing numbers were provided to the registrants, but they were dispatched up to the Consulate in batches of 20, double the size in previous Sundays.

Consulate staff ready the chairs where the ones who made it to the cut-off time will sit

At 3pm, the queue that snaked through the second-floor corridors, down the stairway and out onto the footbridge numbered about 500. Many of them sat on the floor after standing for several hours on the bridge.

“Nasa pila na kami kaninang 7 o’clock pa. Doon kami nagsimula, malapit sa malaking building,” said one of the women. (We were on the queue since 7 o’clock. We joined the line near the large building.)

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Asked why they didn’t apply to register in the early days of the OVR, they said they were too busy. But others were not shy to say it was due to an old habit to procrastinate.

"Alam nyo naman tayong mga Pinoy, last minute,” she said with a grin. (You know how we Pinoys are, last minute.)

But others, especially the new arrivals, said they only recently heard that the registration for next year’s election was already underway.

Queuing on this bridge started as early as 3am

Many of those on the queue said this is the first time they will be voting in Hong Kong. Some said they were not yet here in the 2019 midterm elections. Others said they did not vote in the previous polling exercise.

But all were determined to get their voices heard in the upcoming election, when they get to help choose the country's president, vice-president senators, and a party-list, whose nominee/s may get the chance to sit in the House of Representatives.

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Cases of illegal gathering, failure to wear mask heard in court

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The Covid-19 related cases were all heard in Eastern Court

An unemployed Filipina with Chinese citizenship and a Caucasian male with a Hong Kong ID card who were due to enter their plea for taking part in an illegal gathering, failed to show up for a hearing in Eastern Court today, Oct 4.

A Frenchman also slated for plea-taking for not wearing a mask was also was absent.

As a result of their absence, the prosecutor said the three, Virginia R. Hwang, Alexander D. O’Neill and Leo A. Villemin will be issued summonses.

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Hwang and O’Neill faced separate charges of “participating in a prohibited group gathering” before Magistrate Vivian Ho.

Villemin faced a charge of “failing to wear a mask in a public place,” in violation of anti-Covid-regulations.

The prosecution declined to give details of the cases.

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But in earlier case, Hwang, 62, and O’Neill, 36, were among four persons charged on Jul 20 for “gambling in a gambling establishment” on Feb 3 in an eighth floor flat at Lai Yuen Apartments , Russell St, Causeway Bay.

O’Neill pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000. Their two companions, Lam Wing-chuen and Chui Tak-man, both 45, were fined $1,500 each.

Hwang, who was also charged with possessing apparatus fit for inhaling drugs and for drug possession, was not asked for her plea then.

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Meanwhile, an Indonesian woman was fined $6,000 for operating a food shop in Central beyond the 10pm closing time for catering businesses imposed by the government as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The defendant, Jharna Sunwar, pleaded guilty to a charge of violating the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation (Cap. 599F).

The prosecution said that on Mar 28, a team of health and police officers inspected a catering business at 15-19 Elgin St, Central, that remained open at past 10pm and found 10 men and one woman eating inside.

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Investigating officers found that the shop had a valid business licence, but arrested the defendant for operating the business illegally beyond the prescribed closing time.

After Sunwar pleaded guilty, Magistrate Ho fined her $6,000.

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