No time to read the news this week? No worries, we've got you covered. Just one minute with the Localiiz news roundup and you'll have all you need to appear up-to-the-minute and worldly-wise when out and about this weekend (well, almost):
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Elections and mooncakes
While one candidate grumbled that his opponent was attempting to win votes by giving away whole boxes of mooncakes (in contrast to his single mooncake offering), a record high 47 percent of the electorate voted. The pro-establishment parties won 191 seats with 529,000 votes, the pan-democratic group of parties won 94 seats with 476,000 votes, gaining 25 additional seats. The biggest upset came when many established candidates in both parties lost seats to candidates who are new to politics, suggesting a desire for a fresh approach. While 47 percent may be a record for Hong Kong, it does border on "disinterested' when compared to other countries. What's the deal Hong Kong?
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Asia’s World City?
Talking of polls, a new study by the consultancy PwC, Building Better Cities, places Hong Kong 11 out of 28 cities in the APEC region for living and doing business. We lag behind Singapore (3rd) and Tokyo (4th). Bob Moritz, chairman and senior partner of the PwC says, “Brand cannot just be a slogan or a logo; it must be built on growth and must ring true for all involved.” Any suggestions for a more suitable tagline for Hong Kong? Answer in the comments below!
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Batchelor pads
The Urban Renewal Council is allowed to change its mind just like anyone else, and so it did. Single people can now also buy subsidised flats. Some people suspect it’s a government ruse to keep disaffected singletons from camping out on Gloucester Road. Or perhaps parents just need a break once their kids are in their twenties!
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Not out of the woods yet, folks
In the same week Charlie Sheen announced that he was HIV positive, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) announced that 189 (167 male, 22 female) new cases of HIV had been recorded in Q3 this year. These numbers suggest that by year-end, the total number of new cases this year will be the highest annual total since 1984. Despite three decades of public education, it seems that people still need to hear CHP Consultant Dr Wong Ka-hing’s warning that the proper use of condoms is still important in reducing the risk of contracting HIV. Can't wait for the "carefully crafted" government infomercial on this one!
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Exercising someone else's credit card
A California Fitness fitness coach was jailed for (amongst other things) using his clients’ credit card information to pay for fitness programmes in other people’s names so he could meet sales targets. The fraudulent transactions earned him a commission of $140,000. The four victims’ combined credit card bills totalled more than $1.4million. So that's what afterburn is!
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McReunion
A Singaporean woman who went “missing” nearly five years ago has been reunited with her son after her plight was reported in an Associated Press story published in November (first reported in Localiiz – May 2015) about people who sleep at 24-hour McDonald’s outlets in Hong Kong. After being swindled in China, she was reportedly too ashamed to return home so she stayed in Hong Kong finding work where she could, and sleeping in McDonald’s. It's not all bad news after all!
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