Wandering Eyes

The set-up of a global mediation centre in Hong Kong will catapult the city to an international arbitration stage, enhance its influence and bring in economic benefits, the chief executive has said. City leader John Lee Ka-chiu made his remarks on Tuesday, ahead of the high-profile visit of Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi for the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation on May 30. He said the new body would put Hong Kong on par with The...View the full article

Wellington, long celebrated as New Zealand’s most inclusive city, is witnessing a rise in anti-LGBTQ attacks, leaving many residents feeling unsafe – and some contemplating leaving altogether. The mother of a 19-year-old gay student, who moved to the country’s capital for university, told the Stuff news website that her son faced constant intimidation and was regularly subjected to homophobic slurs on the streets of Wellington. Paradoxically, Wellington was chosen for the son’s studies because...View the full article

Legal hurdles remain a reason why a proposed regular mechanism on organ donation between Hong Kong and mainland China has yet to materialise since discussions started in 2022, according to a top health official from the country. Wang Haibo, director of the China Organ Transplant Response System (COTRS), told the Post on the sidelines of the Hospital Authority Convention on Tuesday that it would take time to revise laws on the mainland to spur the establishment of the mechanism. “There is a legal...View the full article

Te Akau’s southern arm have a busy week ahead, with a big team at Thursday’s Riccarton Synthetic meeting before talented juvenile Cool Aza Rene treks to Wingatui on Sunday. The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained gallopers will be out in force in each of the Rating 75 contests on the polytrack, with Mitre Peak, Alminette and Beau Brummell taking their place in the Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge Rating 75 (1600m). A mare by More Than Ready, Mitre Peak (More Than Ready) was only narrowly beaten when resuming behind subsequent winner Penvose Lad, then performed respectably last time out on the synthetic surface behind stablemate Vivacious. Stakes performer Alminette (NZ) (Burgundy) finished ahead of Mitre Peak on that occasion, while Beau Brummell (NZ) (Embellish) is fresh-up from a spell and has recorded all four of his career wins over the mile distance. “Mitre Peak was super first-up and good again second-up, she’s bounced through that really well and it looks a nice race for her,” Te Akau Racing assistant trainer Hunter Durrant said. “Alminette bounced back into a bit of form last start as well, hopefully the step-up to a mile might be the key and she can get one.” The stable is strongly represented in the Book A Suite Mid-Winter Xmas Races 21 June Rating 75 (1200m), with Caravella (NZ) (Caravaggio), Knowledge Is Power (NZ) (Written Tycoon) and Sorcha (NZ) (Burgundy) engaged over the sprint trip. The latter has a particular affinity with the synthetic surface, with three wins and three placings from nine attempts. Caravella has also collected a victory on the course and Durrant said her 59kg impost shouldn’t be of too much concern on Thursday. “She a tough wee mare that likes the poly, she’s going well,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier with her. “Hayley’s (Hassman) claim will help Sorcha, she’s a handy poly horse and the 1200m will suit. “It’ll be interesting to see how he (Knowledge Is Power) goes, but he’s a quick wee horse that will appreciate being on-speed on the synthetic.” Of their remaining runners, Corps D’ Elite (So You Think) is a runner deserving of her maiden victory after a number of strong performances last preparation. The daughter of So You Think will likely contest the Entain / NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1200m), with the assist of in-form hoop George Rooke in the saddle. “She’s quite a handy maidener, she should be breaking maidens fairly soon,” Durrant said. “She’s had a couple of nice trials to prepare so she’s ready to kick off her prep off well.” Later in the week, Durrant is looking forward to the return of Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel), who put her ability on full display earlier in the two-year-old season. A filly by former Te Akau star Cool Aza Beel, Cool Aza Rene defeated subsequent Karaka Millions contenders Sierra Leone and Abbakiss on debut, before holding off KM placegetter Miss Ziggy during New Zealand Cup Week in November. She returned to Te Akau’s Riccarton base recently and appeared at the trials on the 20th of May, finishing a narrow second under a hold over 800m. “She’s heading down to Wingatui, she had a trial at Ashburton last week and trialled well on a heavy track,” Durrant said. “She’s bounced through that and worked well again on the grass on Saturday, I can’t fault her. “She’s obviously a pretty classy horse, having won here during Cup Week, so if she can bring that form, she should be pretty hard to beat.” Cool Aza Rene will be the likely favourite in the 820m contest on Sunday, but beyond that, Durrant has no certain targets for the filly. “We don’t necessarily have a race in mind this time, but as she turns three, there are plenty of options for her down here,” he said. View the full article

Pedigree enthusiasts would have noted the result of Monday’s 3000-metre Benchmark 70 at Mornington immediately, with two kiwi bred full brothers of Melbourne Cup winners fighting out the finish. The seven-horse field contained Affluential (NZ) (Zed), the brother of late 2021 Cup winner Verry Elleegant, and Heir To The Throne (NZ) (Pentire), the brother of 2015 Cup victor Prince Of Penzance. And as it turned out, the pair would quinella the race, with just a nose separating the well-related stayers in a thrilling go on the line. John Leek Jnr’s Affluential ($1.80) loomed on the turn and looked an easy winner at the 100-metre mark, but some mid-race pulling and 62kg took its toll late. Heir To The Throne ($6.50), coincidentally trained by Leek Jnr’s wife Andrea, had saved ground under Teo Nugent and began to close rapidly on Affluential, but just missed with a last-gasp dive. Leaving aside the scarcely believable quinella, it was a tough win by the son of Zed, who carried 62kg, though this was an 8kg drop on his last-start second in the Galleywood Hurdle, which followed a gutsy win at Flemington. Though Leek Jnr would’ve preferred a lot more sting out of the Mornington track on Monday, assuming Affluential comes through the win well, he seems to be perfectly placed ahead of Sunday’s Australian Hurdle at Sandown. Conversely, Heir To The Throne will contest the Australian Steeple, with a rider yet to be booked. “I’m happy with the win, but I probably didn’t want to run him on such a hard surface,” Leek Jnr said. “But anyway, I’m very happy and happy for Andrea’s horse. It’s in the Australian Steeple on Sunday, and she’s looking for a rider. “So, any of you jumps jockeys that need a ride in the Australian Steeple, you better give her a call.” View the full article

Cambridge Stud owned Joliestar (Zoustar) will have to overcome a wide draw if she’s to add a third Group One to her sparkling CV. Chris Waller’s four-year-old mare has drawn barrier 13 of 14 in the Gr.1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. In her favour however will be the man aboard, with James Mcdonald set to reunite with the daughter of Zoustar for the first time since The Everest (1200m) in October last year. Since then, Joliestar has won the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) under Damian Lane, while she finished a narrow second to Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) in the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) under Zac Lloyd at her most recent run. Chris Waller opted to freshen Joliestar for a tilt at the Brisbane Winter and skip the Gr.1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m), instead happy to give the mare a trial in between runs, which ended up with its own challenges. With trials in Sydney washed out due to rain, a 740m trial conducted on May 22 on the Warwick Farm polytrack was forced to be used as Joliestar’s final public hitout. “It was fine,” Waller said of the situation. “We’ve got to learn to use polytracks and we just gave her a nice easy trial. The trial is one thing, the trip there, the day out, the trip home is probably more important than the actual trial. “It’s just one of those necessary tools. We want good grass when we want to use the grass, we can’t have good grass and abuse it when it’s wet. “I think you’ve got to give and take a bit and learn to do safely, keep the polytracks improving and keep educating us how to use them better because we need them. While Joliestar finished last in the heat of eight runners, Waller said she did what she needed to before travelling to Brisbane earlier in the week. “She had a good day out, she travelled up Monday, it gives her a week to settle in,” Waller said. “She stayed out of trouble and had a nice easy time.” Waller is yet to win a Kingsford Smith Cup, and alongside the Stradbroke Handicap, it is the only Group One race in Queensland – of which there are eight, that the 179-time Group One winning trainer has not yet succeeded in. Despite the wide draw, Joliestar is a firm favourite at $3 for the Kingsford Smith Cup ahead of Giga Kick at $4.40, who has drawn barrier 10. View the full article

Kiwi hoop Wiremu Pinn made an instant impact when trying his hand riding in Melbourne a couple of years ago, and now he is hoping he can do the same in Sydney. The 26-year-old flew across the Tasman last week to commence a winter riding stint in New South Wales, and if everything goes to plan, it may be a one-way ticket. It brings to a close a pleasing season in his homeland, where Pinn recorded 40 wins, eight of those at stakes level, including two Group One victories aboard El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking), and he accrued more than $2.8 million in prizemoney. Like many young Kiwi riders, Pinn had an itch to test his talent in Australia, and while he scratched it slightly a couple of years ago, he wasn’t satisfied, and he is excited to try his luck once more. Pinn was an apprentice during his initial stint in Australia in 2023, where he was indentured to Michael Kent in Cranbourne, and he enjoyed several highlights, including victory aboard the New Zealand-bred Dolphin Skin (NZ) (Telperion) in the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m). While Pinn intended to make the move permanent, his partner, former New Zealand Champion Apprentice Tayla Mitchell, wasn’t granted a license, so the couple elected to return home last year. “I was doing pretty well over there and wanted to stay, but I didn’t want to hold her (Mitchell) back from having a future,” Pinn said. “She wants to ride as well, so I don’t want to stop her from doing that just because I am doing well. I can always go home and ride and that was the reason for coming home.” Pinn has enjoyed riding back in New Zealand, but with winter fast approaching, he felt it was the opportune time to test the waters in Sydney. “It (riding in Sydney) was always in the back of my mind,” Pinn said. “I seemed to do pretty well in Melbourne and racing in New Zealand over winter quietens down, and the prizemoney is pretty good here in Syndey, so I thought I would come over and have a crack. “I have a few mates that used to ride in New Zealand that have been a big help pushing me to get here. Rory Hutchings and Lee Magorrian have been a massive help to me.” Many expat Kiwis have made a name for themselves in Sydney racing, headlined by Champion trainer Chris Waller, and Pinn has aligned himself with the former Foxton horseman. “I am going to base myself with Chris (Waller) and I am going to prioritise him,” Pinn said. “If he needs me, I will show up to his place, but I am happy to go and ride outside work for people that want to give me rides. “I have still got some old connections from Melbourne that are happy to support me and there are a few Kiwi trainers over here that will hopefully give me some rides. “I am just going to put my head down and work hard for them and give it a good crack, I am not here to muck around.” Pinn was straight to business when he landed in Sydney last week, and he is hopeful of picking up a few rides at Rosehill this weekend. “I came over last Wednesday and rode trials on Thursday, and I might have a few rides this Saturday at Rosehill,” he said. While Pinn is only planning a winter stint in Sydney, he is keeping his options open and isn’t against a permanent move to the racing stronghold. “Riding over here is the next level and I feel like I am ready for that at this stage of my career,” he said. View the full article

“I have no pressure,” says Jean-Claude Biver, “except the pressure of time [and] the need to be successful. That’s already a lot of pressure, but it’s a positive pressure.” It is hard to imagine that many pressures – including the pressure to succeed – remain for someone like Biver, who almost requires no introduction. In a career spanning half a century, Biver is known for deftly resuscitating several brands you may have heard of. In the wake of the quartz crisis, he bought and revitalised...View the full article

Korean Air, Jeju Air and T’way Air have been fined a total of 3.54 billion won (US$2.6 million) by South Korea’s government for safety violations. The three South Korean airlines violated the Aviation Safety Act, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported, citing a statement by the country’s ministry of land, infrastructure and transport on Tuesday. The fines come five months after the country’s aviation safety standards were in the spotlight following the crash landing last December of Jeju Air Flight...View the full article

Elite-level racing ignites the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival this Saturday at Eagle Farm Racecourse, featuring a Group 1 double-header headlined by the highly anticipated Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m). Chris Waller‘s star Newmarket Handicap-winning mare, Joliestar, holds clear favouritism in the latest betting markets for this prestigious event. The $1 million Kingsford Smith Cup serves as […] The post 2025 Kingsford Smith Cup Preview: Joliestar Leads Battle of the Sprinters at Eagle Farm appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

China’s large industrial enterprises posted modest but accelerating growth in April, despite an unprecedented trade war with the United States that drove up tariffs on both sides and intensified economic uncertainty. Industrial profits among larger firms, with an annual income of 20 million yuan ($US2.78 million) or above generated from their main businesses, recorded a 3 per cent year-on-year increase last month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on Tuesday, up from 2.6 per cent...View the full article

A nine-month-old girl has died after being found unconscious and trapped in the gap between a cot and a bed. Police said they received a report at around 7am on Tuesday that the baby was found unconscious at a flat in Fortress Hill. She was rushed to Ruttonjee Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 8.03am. The force added that the mother, 32, left the baby on the bed after feeding her on Monday night. She then found the unconscious girl in the gap the next morning. Dr Mike Kwan, a...View the full article

K-pop sensation Blackpink will hold two shows at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium in what appears to be the finale of their “Deadline” world tour in January next year. It will be the group’s first return to Hong Kong three years after it held three sold-out shows at AsiaWorld-Expo in 2023. According to details released by K-pop agency YG Entertainment on Tuesday, the world tour will commence in July in Goyang, South Korea and is set to conclude with two shows in Hong Kong on January 24 and 25 next...View the full article

Students who faced “discriminatory and unfair treatment” under the United States’ attempted ban on Harvard University’s international student enrolment are welcome to Hong Kong, the city leader has said, adding he would consider further raising the quota for non-local applicants if the need arose. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday said Hong Kong would welcome any student who had been “discriminated by US policy” to continue their studies here. “So I want this message to go out to any...View the full article

Malaysia’s home minister has been hit by a wave of public ridicule after his WhatsApp account was hacked, raising questions over the country’s digital protections when its top security official has been targeted by cyber criminals. Mobile phishing scams are rampant in Malaysia, with citizens frequently harassed by calls from fraudsters posing as police, banks or courts to extort money under the guise of criminal probes. The account of Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, head of the Home Ministry – which...View the full article

Hong Kong’s leader has slammed organisations that claim to be professional yet defend members under tax investigations, warning that such attempts to pressure authorities will only “expose their ugly nature”. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said that authorities would pursue legal responsibility in accordance with the law, as he responded to a question on whether the government’s recent tax reviews on members of Hong Kong Journalists Association were targeting independent media. Last week,...View the full article

Hong Kong is ramping up efforts to become an international data-trading hub by forging ties with mainland China and Southeast Asia, as cross-border data sharing is a new engine of an AI-driven economy that will benefit people and businesses, said Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po. “We are also committed to opening and sharing data that the private sector and academia can use,” Chan said on Tuesday at the inaugural International Data Industry Alliance (IDIA) Global Summit in Hong Kong. The...View the full article

Hong Kong’s leader has criticised the MTR Corporation’s “inadequacies” in emergency responses and contingency planning following several recent blunders, including a five-hour suspension in rail services on the Tseung Kwan O line last week. Speaking to the media before a meeting with the key decision-making Executive Council on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also laid down for areas that the rail giant needed to improve on, following its third disruption in four months caused by...View the full article

Mainland Chinese authorities have accused a hacker group they allege is backed by Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of orchestrating cyberattacks on up to 1,000 sensitive mainland networks, including military, energy and government systems. The claim was made public on May 20 by the Guangzhou city police, who said the group used “rudimentary and crude” methods to launch widespread attacks from overseas IP addresses, including from the United States, France and Japan. The city’s...View the full article

Blackpink, the popular South Korean girl group, will perform two shows in Singapore later this year as part of their Deadline world tour, concert organiser Live Nation announced on Tuesday. The quartet will take to the stage at Singapore’s National Stadium on November 29 and 30. Pre-sale registration for Weverse subscribers opens at noon on Tuesday, with the presale itself scheduled for June 10. Additional presales will follow: Visa cardholders can access tickets on June 11, while Changi Rewards...View the full article

Tuen Ng Festival, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, is one of the biggest annual celebrations in Hong Kong. It takes place on May 31 this year. As well as dragon boat races, sticky rice dumplings, or zongzi, are a big feature of the festival. Sticky rice dumplings can be sweet or savoury and sprinkled with sugar or dipped in soy sauce. But either way, they are traditionally steamed. We asked chefs in Hong Kong, and one in Macau, for creative suggestions for other ways to prepare...View the full article

Malaysian businesses are eyeing more sales to Gulf nations, whose burgeoning Muslim populations need a bigger range of halal products – from pet food to cosmetics – and are willing to pay trusted sources for them. Majority-Muslim Malaysia is a global leader in halal products and has a rigorous certification regime recognised by scores of Muslim nations and bodies worldwide. Businesses selling to the six oil-rich nations of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain...View the full article

David Hayes has high hopes for Chateauneuf making barrier 11 look insignificant when he lines up in the Class Three Seine Handicap (1,200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The Fastnet Rock gelding snapped a losing run of nine races when he blazed home to win the Class Three Parislongchamp Handicap (1,200m) three weeks ago. From the inside draw, Luke Ferraris pinged him out into the box seat along the rail and angled out his mount as the field turned into the home straight. When asked,...View the full article

There’s a quiet fascination to high-end jewellery designs – a hypnotic beauty, where clean lines and sleek surfaces exude a serene elegance. Yet, it’s within these subtle details that true stories unfold. Hidden mechanisms, exquisitely constructed, invite interaction: a gold bracelet that unveils secret compartments and intricate scenes; a minimalist ring that unfurls into a decadent cascade of dazzling diamonds. These creations transcend mere adornment – they transform, engaging wearers in...View the full article

A couple in their village home in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, experienced a scare on Monday when they spotted a highly venomous king cobra snake on their computer desk. A snake catcher was called to safely collect the reptile, which measured about one metre (3.3 feet) in length. According to a police spokesman, the snake will be released back into the wild. The force said it received a report at 1.41am that the snake had entered the house on To Shek Street. The male resident of the flat shared what he...View the full article