RTHK：Video News podcast

#Video News #Hong Kong #RTHK.HK #News #Video #RTHK

43:56

On August 20th, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez shot and killed their own parents. Until then, this Beverly Hills family had been a portrait of the American Dream. How did it go so wrong? To listen to all four episodes of 'The Menendez Brothers' right now and ad-free, go to IntoHistory.com . Subscribers enjoy uninterrupted listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com . If you or someone you know is in crisis, there is free help available at mhanational.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

RTHK：Video News

Series home•Feed

Video news from Hong Kong and around the world.

198 episodes

RTHK：Video News

34 subscribers

updated about 18 hours ago

Series home•Feed

Video news from Hong Kong and around the world.

198 episodes

#Video News #Hong Kong #RTHK.HK #News #Video #RTHK

All episodes

1
Hong Kong's new taxi fleets unveiled

18 hours ago

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Taxis that offer a variety of ways to pay and come equipped with systems to keep an eye on the driver are about to arrive on the city's streets, with officials saying the only way is up when it comes to service quality. Five new taxi fleets with more than 3,500 vehicles between them were unveiled on Monday. Hundreds of the taxis are brand new and as well as accepting various forms of electronic payments rather than just cash, the fleets' various boasts include a number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles, some electric vehicles, online booking, and driver monitoring systems "for passenger convenience and driving safety", according to the government. Transport Secretary Mabel Chan said that after years of challenges, the taxi trade can only make improvements when it comes to service and she hopes the fleets will play a leading role in this. "I think today is a start," she said. "We hope that we can promote and attract more taxis to join such a kind of fleet management so as to provide more modern and more user-friendly services." Big Boss Taxi Company, CMG Fleet Management, Sino Development (International) Company, SynCab Service and Tai Wo Management are the operators granted licences. Between them they will run around 20 percent of all the city's taxis, with the first fleet expected to start operating by the end of this month and all of them arriving by July.…

1
Govt operating account largely balanced: FS

19 hours ago

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Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Monday said while Hong Kong's capital account, which is used to finance large infrastructure projects such as the Northern Metropolis, was facing higher deficits, the city's operating account was still largely balanced. "On the operating account, our aim is to return it to balance as soon as possible, and start to register surplus. The coming [financial] year, in 2025-2026, we will be largely in balance. The deficit is only about HK$4 billion. When you take it into the context of the government expenditure of over HK$600 billion a year, I would call that largely balanced. And then the year after, 2026-2027, we [will] start to have an operating surplus," he said. He added the city must expedite the development of the Northern Metropolis so as to drive the SAR's technological growth, but that would also mean the government's capital account would be under an imbalanced fiscal situation in the short term due to the gap between revenue and expenditure. "In order to match the cash flow requirements. We can consider issuing some bonds with longer tenor. That is possible. But at the same time, I have to wait and balance between cost of borrowing and the tenor," he added. There have been concerns over the city's rising debt, given authorities' plan to issue up to HK$195 billion worth of bonds annually over the coming five years. But Chan stressed the city's debt levels remain low and it should make good use of its borrowing capacity to meet the capital account cash flow gap.…

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CE to travel to Beijing for NPC opening

23 hours ago

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Chief Executive John Lee will head to Beijing on Tuesday to attend the annual opening meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC). The NPC meeting will open in the capital on Wednesday, while the annual meeting of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) will open on Tuesday. Lee will return to Hong Kong on Thursday, and Chief Secretary Eric Chan will be the acting CE during his absence. The Executive Council will not hold meetings these two weeks as local NPC and CPPCC members will need to attend the meetings in Beijing. Speaking to reporters at the airport on Monday, a number of local NPC deputies expressed hope for policies supporting private enterprises. "I believe that in the government work report, there will also be supporting measures to encourage more private enterprises from Hong Kong and around the world to invest in our country," said Starry Lee, Hong Kong's sole delegate to the NPC Standing Committee. NPC deputy Iris Wong said she was upbeat about the country's potential in tech and cultural industries despite Sino-US tensions. "Everyone can see that whether it's DeepSeek or the development of robotics, and even the recently popular Ne Zha movie, these are all achievements of our innovation, culture and technology," she said. CPPCC member and Liberal Party chairman Peter Shiu said he would continue to push for more Greater Bay Area residents to visit Hong Kong, including expanding the multi-entry visa scheme to eight more cities in the GBA. Another CPPCC delegate and lawmaker Johnny Ng, meanwhile, said he would propose mechanisms for fraud prevention education during the meetings in the capital.…

1
'Most civil servants understand need for pay freeze'

2 days ago

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Civil Service Secretary Ingrid Yeung on Sunday said most civil servants understood the need for a pay freeze given the government’s deficit. Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, Yeung said she had been told the move would not affect morale. “During the discussions, I approached many civil service colleagues and most of them told me they understood the situation. Some even said it had been expected. Before the budget announcement, some union representatives had said that it would not affect morale,” she said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan also announced in his budget speech on Wednesday that two percent of the civil service would be cut between the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years, with about 10,000 civil service posts expected to be slashed by April 1, 2027. Yeung said the two percent cut was a minimum requirement, and departments could reduce more posts if they wanted. However, Yeung said some vacancies had to be filled such as firefighters and teachers.…

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Technology chief pledges to foster AI development

2 days ago

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Technology and innovation chief Sun Dong on Sunday said policies related to artificial intelligence (AI) mentioned in last month's budget show the government’s commitment to high-quality development. Financial Secretary Paul Chan described AI as a “core industry” as he delivered the budget for the 2025-26 financial year, and said the government would support research and development efforts in the city. He also announced that HK$1 billion would be earmarked for the establishment of the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute. Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, Sun said the founding of the institute could benefit society in many ways, including applications in areas like government services, law, finance, healthcare and education. "I think that with AI advancing to its current level, every country and region needs to achieve breakthroughs in important areas, particularly in applications. Of course this involves some free exploration. Therefore while we want to encourage different research teams to explore AI freely, we also need to combine our limited resources to focus on development. That’s part of why we’re establishing the institute," he said. The technology chief also noted there were 4,700 start-ups in the city at the end of last year, describing them as important pillars for Hong Kong’s future development. “This is four times what it was before the pandemic and over a 10 percent increase from the year before. The number is expected to go up again this year,” he said “Start-ups are looking at Hong Kong's innovation scene, government policies, the overall resources availability, and whether the business environment is good. When start-ups come here, talent will follow." Hong Kong has to have its own “star start-up” as it works its way to become an international I&T centre, the minister said. Sun will lead a delegation, including representatives from the I&T sector, to Spain and Portugal on Sunday evening, to strengthen ties and cooperation between Hong Kong and the two countries in the field.…

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Zelensky gets warm welcome in UK after Trump clash

2 days ago

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday gave Volodymyr Zelensky a warm welcome in London, a day after the Ukrainian leader's clash with US President Donald Trump. And ahead of Sunday's summit in London to discuss how to support Ukraine as it battles Russia's forces, Starmer reiterated his support for Kyiv. "In partnership with our allies, we must intensify our preparations for the European element of security guarantees alongside continued discussions with the United States," he said in a statement issued late Saturday. "Now is the time for us to unite in order to guarantee the best outcome for Ukraine, protect European security, and secure our collective future," he added. Hours earlier, Ukraine and the UK unveiled a £2.26 billion (US$2.84 billion) loan agreement to support Ukraine's defence capabilities, to be paid back with the profits of immobilised sovereign Russian assets. "The funds will be directed toward weapons production in Ukraine," Zelensky said on X. "This is true justice -- the one who started the war must be the one to pay." Supporters cheered as Zelensky's convoy swept into Downing Street, where he was embraced by Starmer and posed for photographs before heading inside the British leader's home. "You're very, very welcome here in Downing Street," Starmer told Zelensky. "I want to thank you, the people of the United Kingdom, for such big support from the very beginning of this war," Zelensky responded. He is due to meet King Charles III on Sunday. The leaders met behind closed doors for around 75 minutes, and embraced again as Starmer escorted Zelensky to his car. Earlier Saturday Zelensky had stressed that Trump's support was still "crucial" for Ukraine despite their row the previous day. The clash was a further shock to Kyiv's European allies, still adjusting to Washington's new stance on the war. On Friday as cameras in the Oval Office rolled, Trump berated Zelensky for not being "ready" for peace with Russia, triggering alarm across Europe. (AFP)…

1
Fireworks and celebrities wow guests at Kai Tak

3 days ago

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A fencing duel between movie star Donnie Yen and Olympic gold medallist Vivian Kong, a medley performance by celebrity couple George Lam and Sally Yeh, and a surprise appearance by singer and actor Andy Lau were some of the highlights for the opening ceremony of Kai Tak Sports Park on Saturday night. The show, which went on until 8:35pm, half an hour longer than scheduled, was capped by a brief fireworks display. Spectators said they were dazzled by the overall experience. Jimmy and Dhillon said they were super excited to see Donnie Yen. "They had a fencing demonstration just now, mixing kung fu and fencing. Donnie Yen fencing against Vivian Kong, the Hong Kong champion. It looks like we are in the Olympics," they said. Another attendee, Gary, was pleased with his clear view to the stage, even he sat in the upper section. "My seat is the top (row) one. So my sight is all the stadium and very huge. It makes me feel great. I’m very proud that Hong Kong has this (stadium)," he said. Alan, who went with his girlfriend, praised the facilities inside the stadium, although he felt the sound quality can be improved. "The number of toilets is beyond my expectations… Just [every] few steps there's a toilet," he said. He also hoped spectators can bring their own food or drinks in the future. "We did not buy any drinks or food inside - just the price consideration. We wanted to buy the popcorn but that is not the fresh popcorn, just pre-prepared food," he said. A woman from Zhuhai was overjoyed to see Andy Lau in person. "Everyone was hoping to see the four heavenly kings," Zhang said, referring to 1990s Hong Kong pop idols Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung and Leon Lai. "It was awesome enough to see one of them show up." The event also drew in Jeffery and Arnold, both engineers involved in the sports park project. "For me, it's like what you said, our baby. So it feels like we accomplished something because of our hardships and all the struggles that we faced here during the construction. Yeah, all the tears, the sweat," Jeffrey said.…

1
HK to soar to new heights with Kai Tak Sports Park: CE

3 days ago

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The brand new Kai Tak Sports Park will help Hong Kong soar to new heights, the chief executive told the crowd during the opening ceremony on Saturday night. Speaking in Cantonese, Putonghua and English, John Lee also underlined his vision for the city’s newest landmark, built on the site vacated by the old airport. “From the first successful trial flight 100 years ago to the establishment of an airport, today we have created Kai Tak Sports Park … a brand new stage for sports, culture and arts facing the world,” he said. The CE added that the park will be the perfect venue to kick off “Hong Kong Super March,” outlining a list of mega-events scheduled for the city. “Like this very stadium's retractable roof, the sky is the limit. From snooker, the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens to football, the upcoming sports events are sure to delight all - on and off the pitch,” he declared. Lee was then joined onstage by political and business leaders for the launching ceremony. They included the director of the central government's liaison office, Zheng Yanxiong, as well as Henry Cheng, chairman of New World Development, which built the park. The crowd of 33,000 or so were treated to a Chinese drum performance and lion dance before the speech. The media were allowed to stream roughly the first half an hour of the show, until 7 pm. The rest of the ceremony – including performances by singers Joey Yung, and demonstrations by national athletes – was kept under wraps until 9.30 pm, when four free-to-air TV channels will broadcast the event in full.…

1
Excited crowds arrive early for Kai Tak opening show

3 days ago

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Jubilant and excited crowds arrived at Kai Tak Sports Park ahead of the opening ceremony on Saturday night, but some were left confused by the rules of admission. The 90-minute ceremony will begin at 6:30pm, featuring celebrities including Donnie Yen, Gin Lee, MC Cheung, Joey Yung, as well as SAR athletes Vivian Kong and Jordan Tang. One spectator, Edward, arrived two hours in advance. He said he couldn’t wait to see the stars and check out their performances. "Of course Joey, MC - those are the perfect performances that I want to look at. Also I know some of the sports stars will be joining. I'm looking forward to it," he said. Another man, surnamed Wong, said his daughter helped him buy a ticket. The 67-year-old said he has never been to a big stadium before and called this an "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." The ceremony will welcome 33,600 spectators, including 8,500 lucky ones who managed to purchase tickets online. But to get in, they had to show up with electronic vouchers and identity documents to redeem a physical ticket by 3pm. Bosco and his girlfriend arrived half an hour before the deadline. He said the arrangement was a bit of a hassle but described the redemption process as smooth. "I think it'll be better if the seats are arranged when I buy the tickets ... It's a bit troublesome to come here a few times," he said. "For us it's quite smooth because ... not many people are here. The process takes about five minutes." But a number of others showed up after 3pm, including Alsen, who travelled from Shenzhen. He said he was thankful to get the ticket, but felt that signage directing spectators could be improved. "There are many instructions that I can't identify. There's information but it still feels a bit hard for me to find the right place. I asked some police and others," he said. Spectators were allowed to enter the main stadium from 4:30pm, after passing security checks. Some of them were unaware of the list of items prohibited inside the venue. These include long umbrellas, plastic, glass or metal food containers, water bottles and so on. "It's kind of odd. Maybe it's for safety reasons, but kids need their own water bottles. It means we need to spend money inside," said Mavis, who attended the gala with her two daughters and husband. The ceremony will not be broadcast live, but four local TV channels, including RTHK, will carry the show at 9.30pm.…

1
Search continues for 22 missing from India avalanche

3 days ago

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Search teams in northern India on Saturday attempted to rescue 22 workers believed to be trapped after an avalanche hit a remote border area, officials and local media said. The workers were buried under snow and debris after the avalanche hit a construction camp near a village on the border with Tibet in Chamoli district on Friday. Uttarakhand state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said "relief and rescue operations have been accelerated" with the weather in the area clearing up. "Every effort is being made to safely evacuate all the workers trapped in the snow as soon as possible," Dhami said in a post on social media. Police said the snow buried 55 workers initially. Army doctors at the site performed life-saving surgery on those critically injured. Mana village, which shares a border with Tibet, was deserted after residents moved to lower altitudes to escape the extreme weather, The Indian Express newspaper reported. Avalanches and landslides are common in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, especially during the winter season. (AFP)…

1
'Pay freezes show govt serious in tackling deficit'

3 days ago

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Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Saturday said his proposal to freeze civil servant pay aims to show the government's determination in achieving a fiscal balance. In his budget speech on Wednesday, he proposed cutting recurrent government expenditure by two percent for the coming financial year. Some lawmakers and political parties suggested deeper cuts of five to 10 percent. Chan told an RTHK programme that salaries were the government's biggest expense, and it was best to take a cautious approach to any cuts. "We need to make some adjustments in this area, while maintaining the level of public services. Even when training staff to use technology, it takes time," he said. "We believe that reducing recurrent expenditure by two percent annually is more appropriate. If we move too quickly, haste makes waste and the results may not be as good." The finance chief reiterated that he didn't want to rely too heavily on land income, citing the tremendous financial pressure on residents when land and property prices soared in the past. "We don't want housing to be as expensive as it was during times of short supply. So we'll continue our work on land supply. As for releasing prepared land, we can be flexible and take market conditions into consideration." On plans to roll out eight residential plots in the coming year, Chan said land sale plans shouldn't be linked to land premium income and this year's housing supply shouldn't be excessive. Speaking on another radio programme, Chan said the government would expedite the development of the Northern Metropolis, adding that many mainland enterprises had expressed an interest in its development. Infrastructure investment for the Northern Metropolis has increased from HK$90 billion to HK$120 billion annually.…

1
Japan battles biggest wildfire in decades

3 days ago

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Japan was battling its largest wildfire in more than three decades on Saturday, one of several blazes that have killed one person and forced the evacuation of more than a thousand. Flames are estimated to have spread over about 1,200 hectares in the forest of Ofunato in the northern region of Iwate since fire broke out on Wednesday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. "We're still examining the size of the affected area, but it is the biggest since the 1992 wildfire in Kushiro, Hokkaido, an agency spokesman told AFP. That fire burned 1,030 hectares, the previous record. Around 1,700 firefighters were being mobilised from across the country, the agency said. Aerial footage from public broadcaster NHK showed white smoke billowing up and covering an entire mountain. Local police found the body of one person who had been burned on Thursday. Over 1,000 nearby residents have been evacuated and more than 80 buildings had been damaged as of Friday, according to the Ofunato municipality. The cause of the blaze remained unknown. Two other fires were also burning Saturday, one in Yamanashi and another elsewhere in Iwate. Ofunato has seen only 2.5 millimetres of rainfall this month - on course to fall far below the previous record low for February of 4.4 millimetres in 1967. And last year was Japan's hottest since records began. (AFP)…

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Card readers will be updated to allow for HK$2 tweaks

3 days ago

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Users will be able to check the remaining number of discounted trips using an Octopus card reader when changes to the HK$2 elderly transport subsidy take effect, the labour and welfare chief Chris Sun said on Saturday. The government announced in the latest Financial Budget that there would be a cap of 240 trips per month. After that, while the flat rate of HK$2 remains for rides costing HK$10 or less, the government will only shoulder 80 percent of the cost if the standard fare exceeds HK$10. Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, Sun noted that all 17,000 Octopus card readers in the SAR only allowed users to check the last 40 transactions and the remaining value. "I think it's important for them to check whenever they want to check it - how many trips are remaining for that month. Right now, for the Octopus card they are holding, this is not a function with it. So we have to create that function for them to check it out," he told reporters. "And also, they have to go to... most likely one of the machines installed in most of the MTR stations where they can check their balance and also the recent transactions. So through that, what we call 'an Octopus card checker', when they just tap the card, they can check how many trips are still remaining for that month." While the government aims to put the changes in place no later than September next year, Sun emphasised that he hopes the amendment can take effect as soon as possible. He says he believes the new measures will help tackle the issue of commuters taking long-haul rides for only short trips. The minister emphasised that the government would reach out to elderly in, what he called, a "very, very extensive way", to ensure they were aware of the tweaks. He also reiterated that the impact brought by the changes would be minimal, as 75 percent of the beneficiaries take rides costing less than HK$10.…

1
Trump berates Zelensky in shock Oval Office meeting

3 days ago