Hong Kong

The Hebou PNG Barramundis continued their impressive form in the T20 Series by posting another imposing total of 9/161 off their allotted 20 over in the final.

It was a team effort with a total of five Barramundis’ batsmen scoring more 20 runs throughout the innings, with Assad Vala top scoring with the bat with a brilliant 37 runs off just 33 balls. Tanveer Ahmed was the stand-out bowler for Hong Kong, taking an incredible 5/48.  

The asylum-seekers, from Sri Lanka and the Philippines, housed Mr Snowden for two weeks when he fled the US after leaking thousands of files.

A government spokesman said that there were no substantial grounds for believing that the claimants would face danger in their home countries.

The group, who are also seeking asylum in Canada, have 14 days to appeal.

The asylum-seekers - a Sri Lankan couple with two children, a Sri Lankan man and a Filipino mother with a daughter - were introduced to Edward Snowden by their lawyer, Robert Tibbo.

But these women are not victims of human trafficking.

They are among the approximately 330,000 domestic helpers from the Philippines and Indonesia who left their homes to find work in Hong Kong, some of whom are profiled in a new feature-length documentary called "The Helper" which is holding its Hong Kong premiere on Mother's Day.

This news comes after USA and the United Kingdom were both added to the Roaming service early last month. There are now 14 countries included in the very successful plan.

Digicel Fiji Chief Executive, Mr. Darren McLean said,” The inclusion of Hong Kong and Singapore is in line with our commitment to provide our customers a seamless roaming experience and great value.

Hundreds of Fiji rugby fans are travelling to the ‘mecca’ of Sevens this week and to Singapore Sevens next week.

Tietjens told the Samoa Observer the abrupt resignation of the team's last trainer led to him bringing in his son to take on the role.

Paul is a 28-year-old physical education teacher who was also the conditioning trainer for the Bay of Plenty Sevens team for the last two years.

Tietjens senior said with only four tournaments left in the world series, the team was in dire need of a trainer who already knew his expectations and had experience.

Samoa is in a tough Pool A with England, Australia and South Africa for the Hong Kong tournament which will be held from 7-9 April.

The Singapore 7s will be held a week later on 15-16 April.

The Samoa team is as follows:

1. Alamanda Motuga
2. Alatasi Tupou
3. Alex Samoa
4. Daniel Kayes
5. Faalemiga Selesele 
6. Gordon Langkilde
7. Joe Perez
8. Lafaele Vaa
9. Mathew Tuātagaloa (debutant)
10. Samoa Toloa 
11. Savelio Ropati
12. Siaosi Asofolau
13. Tila Mealoi
14. Tomasi Alosio

The candidate will be chosen by a committee of mostly pro-Beijing electors, rather than a public vote, which pro-democracy campaigners have been fighting for.

Carrie Lam, deputy to the current leader, is China's choice for the role and is expected to win.

Ahead of the vote, around 1,000 people took to the streets to demand a greater say in who will lead Hong Kong.

Mrs Lam's main rival, former finance chief John Tsang, is the public's favourite, according to opinion polls.

The third candidate is retired judge Woo Kwok-hing.

The man had climbed a 20-metre-high (65ft) crane at a construction site, and police were called to the scene.

Ifzal Zaffar, who is of Pakistani descent, duly climbed up too and addressed him in their shared language.

The man agreed to come down, and was taken to hospital.

Constable Zaffer, who also speaks fluent Cantonese, said he was simply following his training.

"I used the techniques we learned at the academy … I think he felt safer knowing that I could talk to him in his own language," he told Apple Daily.

Criminal investigators from Sri Lanka are believed to have visited Hong Kong looking for them, their lawyer said.

The Sri Lankan police have denied the allegations.

Law enforcement authorities from mainland China or other countries have no jurisdiction in Hong Kong.

The lawyer representing the men, Robert Tibbo, said that at least two officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sri Lanka police visited Hong Kong in December looking for them.

The victims have been transferred to local hospitals, although their conditions are not known, Hong Kong officials said.

A 60-year-old man has been arrested and accused of arson, Hong Kong police said at press conference Friday.

The man, whose last name is Cheung, was critically injured and told police he set the fire, authorities said.

Police said they believe the fire was an isolated incident carried out for personal reasons. There is no evidence it was terror-related, they said.