Christopher Mawn, MD, FACS, an Otolaryngologist with Aspen Ridge ENT

Hong Kong’s legislature has for the first time used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse lawmakers’ remarks during a three-day debate on the city’s first five-year plan and the latest annual policy address, with talent and the Northern Metropolis emerging as the most-discussed topics. Legislative Council president Starry Lee Wai-king said on Saturday that an overview of the six-session debate had been produced using AI. The session on improving livelihood protections drew the largest number...

There is “no way out” for corrupt officials no matter how senior they are, China’s top anti-corruption watchdog has warned following the downfall of a former big-city mayor who survived numerous previous scandals. This week, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced both the probe into Huang Qifan, the former mayor of Chongqing, and the expulsion of a senior figure in Sichuan province. On Saturday, the commission said these developments showed the party’s “unwavering...

In Shenzhen, drones are banned, shiny new hotels have opened their doors and taxi drivers are carrying devices that can translate nearly 150 languages. Since President Xi Jinping announced last year that China’s southern tech hub would host Apec meetings in November, the city has done all it can to get ready under the watchful eyes of the local, provincial and national authorities. While every Apec summit draws the world’s attention, this year’s edition is considered to be especially high-stakes...

Firefighters are bracing for another day of Santa Ana winds and extreme temperatures as they continue to battle the Norte fire, which has destroyed six homes in south Orange County.

Hong Kong police have arrested the husband of a 34-year-old woman for allegedly stealing luxury goods worth HK$450,000 (US$57,700) from her at home. The woman, surnamed Chan, reported the case to police at around 8.30am on Saturday morning at their home in the Ocean One residential development in Yau Tong. According to police, Chan suspected that her 40-year-old husband, surnamed Lam, had stolen goods worth HK$450,000 in total. The items involved were Chanel and Hermes bags worth HK$300,000 and...

Water pipe smoking will contribute to about 1 million new lung cancer cases globally by 2050, with the Western Pacific region bearing the brunt, according to a study led by a World Health Organization (WHO) research agency that was recently presented in Hong Kong. The study, which is yet to be published, was headed by Dr Mahdi Sheikh, a scientist of the early detection, prevention and infections branch at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It estimated that there would be 82...

Witnesses filmed as a driver was carjacked in broad daylight in a dramatic spree in Brisbane.

The luxury cruiser was destroyed in a fire that tore through the vessel, prompting a co-ordinated emergency response.

A man has been injured after he was mauled by two dogs at a park in Brisbane’s north.

A Mexican judge sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison for the murders of brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend.

When Hong Kong debates how to raise its birth rate, the conversation usually revolves around money: bigger baby bonuses, tax concessions, housing support, cheaper childcare and so on. These economic measures are necessary. Lowering the cost of raising a child removes some real and immediate barriers. However, there is another, lesser-known factor that works more subtly and implicitly. It comes not from economics but from the structure of the language or languages we speak each day. Consider a...

The federal government was aware for months the Australian Tax Office was considering an end to credit card payments in response to the surcharge ban.