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push_pin Partners China-Africa Development Fund collaborates with Krystal Institute Affiliate to implement a digital innovation technology education project
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Krystal News Future Creators AI × Blender International Creative Summer Camp Concludes Successfully │ Young Creators from Multiple Countries Gather in Hong Kong to Explore AI and 3D Creation
Krystal News Eastern Light and Shadow Shining in the Alps — A Chronicle of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival
Krystal News Krystal Institute's affiliate company, CGGE Hosts China's First Penpot Community Meetup at Shenzhen University, Spotlighting Penpot Certification & AI-Empowered Open-Source Design
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Partners Shenzhen University Partners with Krystal Institute Affiliate: Jointly Building a Collaborative Platform for Creative Intelligence Industries, Partnering to Create a New Future Ecosystem
'Waste facility fire caused by construction materials' The government on Wednesday said a recent fire at a Shek Kwu Chau waste treatment facility is suspected to have been sparked by construction materials on the roof, rather than the operation of the facility or stored waste. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said preliminary information indicated that Monday's blaze started on the roof of the third incineration module area, where construction works were being finalised. "The EPD will work with the police, the Fire Services Department and the Labour Department to investigate the cause of fire, and has instructed the contractor to submit an incident report on the fire within seven days from the day of the incident," according to a statement. The department said it is evaluating the damage and the impact on the facility's processing capacity, and will urge the contractor to conduct repairs as soon as possible. The facility, I.PARK1, has temporarily suspended waste reception since October 27. The department said it has extended the operating hours of the West New Territories Landfill Extension to handle the waste originally destined for I.PARK1, ensuring the normal operation of the city's overall waste management system. "The EPD will resume waste reception at I.PARK1 as soon as possible, following a comprehensive examination of the facility's structure and all critical systems, and upon confirming that it is suitable to restart the facility's safe operation," it added. It also issued a strong denial of online rumours about "design defects of the incinerator" and a "collapse of the incineration module under construction", calling them groundless and entirely fictitious. Edited by Aaron Tam
Major progress in HK's third medical school: HKUST The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) on Wednesday said its new medical school had entered a new stage of development. HKUST officials said that construction of its Medical Education and Research Complex — the core interim facility at the Clear Water Bay campus for its new school of medicine — is ahead of schedule. Updating the media on progress for the city's third medical school, HKUST officials said the eight-storey building topped out last week, less than six months after its groundbreaking. Dean King Li said the school had also made encouraging progress in faculty recruitment, securing candidates for various key roles. The school aims to have at least 100 professors by 2030 to maintain a 1:1 teacher-student ratio, he said. Li noted that the ratio of local to overseas professors is expected to be fairly even. "It's a process, so we want to choose the best candidates instead of where they come from. As time goes on, you will see that more and more global people will show up,” he said. “In the beginning, it would seem like it's geared towards the locals, because [it's] easier [for them] to join, but the actual ratio of applicants is not skewed that much that way. It's fairly even, I would say, at this time.” One of the newly recruited faculty members is Anskar Leung, a former vice-dean at the University of Hong Kong's medical faculty. HKUST President, Professor Nancy Ip, stressed that the school had not engaged in any talent-poaching from other medical schools, but noted that they have received plenty of interest. “When HKUST indicated its interest to establish the third medical school in Hong Kong, even before the selection process, we received a lot of enquiries already from interested faculty candidates, both locally and overseas,” she said. “So I think they share our vision. They would very much like to participate in the founding stage to set up the new medical school.” Leung, who has already assumed his new role as Senior Associate Dean of Medicine at HKUST, said he shared the school's vision and described the opportunity as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. He added that he resigned from HKU about four months ago. HKUST also said it remains confident it would meet its target in admitting the first cohort of 50 students in the 2028/2029 academic year. Edited by Tony Sabine
Hung Hom plan will not block iconic Lion Rock view Plans for the Hung Hom waterfront will not block the view of the iconic Lion Rock or affect the ridgeline, the Development Bureau's Permanent Secretary Doris Ho said on Wednesday, as the government announced a revised proposal for the area. The new plan features two connected buildings with an elevated viewing platform overlooking Victoria Harbour. "Our two twin-tower developments will not block the Lion Rock view, because the angles are different," Ho told an RTHK programme. Ho stressed the viewing platform will be open to the public, though a decision on whether to charge an entry fee will depend on the project's financial viability. She said authorities hope the new development will inject vitality into the older Hung Hom area. "Usually when you go to enjoy the Victoria Harbour view, you might just walk along the waterfront, a low-level view. But seeing the harbour from a high vantage point gives a rather fresh feeling," Ho said. "We believe that this can achieve the development of a landmark," she added. Ho said the total floor area of the revised plan is similar to the earlier proposal, but the government has reduced commercial space and increased residential floor area after receiving market feedback. About five percent of the floor area will be used for a yacht club, providing around 200 berths. Ho said the larger club facilities would improve the project's financial feasibility and meet market demand. Onshore supporting facilities, such as charging points, will also be required. She said 200 berths is the maximum number, as any more could affect navigation channels. The entire project is divided into two zones – one along the waterfront and another closer to inland areas. Ho said the government is still studying whether to release the site as one single area or in two phases. She said further work is needed, including town planning procedures, but the target of handing over the first batch of land to developers by 2029 remains unchanged. Edited by Aaron Tam
Wang Fuk fire report expected on Thurs: sources The government will release the findings and conclusions of the report submitted by the independent committee probing last November's deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po as soon as Thursday, according to sources. It is believed that a steering committee – led by the chief secretary – will be set up to promote reforms and related legislative amendments. The group will review and follow up on the recommendations laid out in the report and oversee the execution and implementation of reforms to ensure a smooth implementation. Sources say the government will hold a press conference on Thursday, during which Chief Executive John Lee and other principal officials will explain the series of reforms that will need to be implemented. Authorities also plan to meet the press for two consecutive days to detail how the reforms will be carried out and how loopholes in building maintenance will be plugged. Sources say the government will introduce legislation to prohibit bid-rigging in building maintenance works, with such actions to be criminalised by law. It is understood that authorities will also promote reform in building renovation projects and step up supervision of contractors and professionals. The government will propose amendments to the Buildings Ordinance, sources say. Instead of having a culture of self-regulation in the industry, the government will take the lead to strengthen verification and inspections. It will also look into rolling out tougher penalties for violations, and enhance building and fire safety standards. The committee submitted its report – which is understood to be hundreds of pages in length with more than 10 chapters – to the CE last week. Edited by Tony Sabine
HK home prices rise for second straight month Government data released on Wednesday showed private home prices rose for a second straight month in September, with the official index climbing 0.19 percent month-on-month to 320.8. On a year-on-year basis, home prices were up 9.3 percent, according to the figures from the Rating and Valuation Department. For the first nine months of the year, prices accumulated a rise of more than seven percent. By unit size, prices for small and medium-sized flats rose 0.16 percent from the previous month, and were up 9.3 percent year-on-year. Larger units saw a 0.8 percent monthly increase and a 9.5 percent annual gain. The rental index hit another record high, extending the upward streak to 11 months. The September reading stood at 212.2, up 0.47 percent from August and 6.2 percent higher than a year earlier. For the first nine months of the year, rents have climbed 5.8 percent. Edited by Aaron Tam
SAR committed to driving sustainable growth: CE Chief Executive John Lee on Wednesday said Hong Kong is committed to promoting sustainable growth across Asia and the world, and is leaning on innovation to achieve this goal. Speaking at the annual One Earth Summit, Lee said bridging the gap between green capital, innovation and governance is vital amid accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss. He noted that the city serves as a bridge between the mainland and overseas on testing and developing new green technologies. Government leadership, Lee said, will allow Hong Kong to tackle climate change better. “The Hong Kong SAR Government is setting up an inter-departmental task force to build an ‘AI City Brain’ system,” the CE said. “It will provide early warnings of risks and trend forecasts. It will improve inter-departmental collaboration on extreme weather, major incidents and public order.” Lee went on to say that the SAR has already announced various decarbonisation and environmental-protection targets in its inaugural five-year plan, such as improving air and water quality. He believes the SAR can play a part in driving sustainability by mobilising capital, technology and people. Edited by Aaron Tam
Ebola outbreak passes 10,000 cases, mostly in DRC Africa's latest outbreak of Ebola has passed 10,000 confirmed cases, the vast majority of them in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congolese health authorities said on Tuesday, with almost 5,000 fatalities. According to the DRC's figures, 10,060 people have been infected and 4,887 have died since the virus was first detected in May in the vast central African country's deadliest outbreak in its history. Cases have likewise been detected in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, with the World Health Organisation warning that Africa faces a "complex" task to contain an outbreak spanning the east, west and centre of the continent. While some 2,684 have recovered from the virus in the DRC, the epidemic's fatality rate appears to be close to 50 percent, according to the Congolese National Institute of Public Health. Among the many challenges facing the response is the lack of any approved vaccines or treatments for the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola behind the epidemic. After spreading under the radar for weeks, the virus was first detected in the northeastern Congolese province of Ituri, kicking off the DRC's 17th outbreak of the disease. It has since spread across swathes of the country's north and east, which is plagued by a litany of violence by various armed groups and where trust in a faraway and long-absent state is low. Ituri and the eastern North Kivu province, the latter of which is partially controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia, account for the majority of reported cases. After registering a total of 20 cases and two deaths, neighbouring Uganda was declared Ebola-free by the WHO in late August. Kenya, which had not reported a single case of the contagious virus until October 6, has likewise suffered two deaths from the virus out of nine cases. Most of those infected had recently travelled to the DRC. The only case so far confirmed in Nigeria, a 42-year-old Swiss woman who contracted the virus following a trip to Uganda with her husband, was evacuated back to a hospital in Geneva on Monday. Fifty-three of the patient's contacts have been identified by the Nigerian health authorities, in a bid to stop the virus spreading across Africa's most populous nation. Some experts are worried that the virus – caught through contact with bodily fluids – could have spread after the Swiss couple landed back in Nigeria on October 3. The WHO said the patient, the wife of an employee of the Swiss embassy in the capital Abuja, developed symptoms on October 7. She then sought care in Abuja on October 11, before testing positive for Bundibugyo on October 20. A Ugandan government spokesperson dismissed the idea that the Swiss woman could have contracted the disease while in the African Great Lakes nation. The response to the DRC's outbreak has been hampered by the distrust of parts of the population. A nurse was killed and a health worker seriously wounded in the northeastern Tshopo province on Saturday, according to the WHO. Doctor Marcel Likolo, chief medical officer of the Bafwasende health district, said that young people from the area had accused the victims of trying to infect locals with tablets before attacking them. The Ebola treatment centre where the incident took place has since shut down, he said. Since it first emerged half a century ago, Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa. Testing of the Ervebo vaccine, which has already proven to be effective against the more common Zaire strain of the virus, has begun in recent weeks to determine whether it could also provide protection against the Bundibugyo variant. (AFP) Edited by Tony Sabine
Venezuelan oil shipment arrives in Texas The first cargo of Venezuelan crude under a deal between the US and producer NABEP unloaded in Texas on Tuesday and will be sold by the US government to refineries run by Exxon Mobil and Venezuelan-owned Citgo Petroleum, a White House official said. NABEP confirmed in a statement it supplied 1 million barrels of Venezuelan oil as part of the deal. US President Donald Trump visited the port on Tuesday, where one of the vessels carrying the heavy crude served as a backdrop for his speech. The government received the oil "at no cost," the White House official told Reuters, while Trump called it a gift earlier in the day. NABEP's statement, which initially characterised the shipment as part of Washington's right to buy 20 percent of production at cost with no markup, was later updated to say the cargo came at no cost to US taxpayers "to recognise the historic nature of the agreement." "They've sent me as a gift a boatload of a million barrels of oil, and I'm giving that to the United States of America,” Trump told reporters. He later called it the "first shipment of BILLIONS of Barrels to come" in a post on Truth Social. The delivery is the first from an arrangement that gives Washington a 35 percent stake in NABEP's parent company and discounted access to crude it produces. The pact, struck after US forces captured and removed former President Nicolas Maduro from power in January, handed NABEP 14 additional oilfields on top of the three it already had in Venezuela, without a competitive process. "This first shipment since the US-NABEP deal will be followed by thousands of such arrivals," NABEP CEO Alejandro Betancourt said in the company's statement. He said the cargo reached Texas in just over a week, compared with more than a month for crude from the Middle East. NABEP has said the 17 fields it controls in Venezuela hold an estimated 65 billion barrels of oil reserves. The company's total output reached 223,509 barrels of oil equivalent per day as of October 19, it said, up from about 18,000 bpd two years ago. Betancourt said last week that output at Petrozamora, its largest active project, had risen to 115,000 bpd. The shipment gives Trump a chance to tout access to cheaper crude as evidence his policies are delivering economic benefits ahead of the midterm elections, with fuel costs a potential vulnerability for Republicans. In Texas, Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico in a closely watched race that could help determine control of the Senate. "We're celebrating the greatest oil victory in history. To the victor belongs the spoils, right?" Trump said. Trump also praised oil executive Harold Hamm, who was in attendance, as the "biggest independent oilman in the world," before recounting a conversation about Venezuela's vast petroleum reserves. Hamm had described the country's oil wealth as so abundant that finding it was almost effortless, Trump said. "You know how you find oil in Venezuela? You look on the ground. There it is," Trump said. (Reuters) Edited by Cecil Wong
