Cathay Pacific pay rise, China’s mind-reading machine and a ‘mistress’ scandal — SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

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2. Hong Kong accused of ignoring asylum seeker’s food, shelter needs

The Amer family from Egypt is struggling to survive in Hong Kong. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Nermen Amer, 41, arrived in Hong Kong with her four daughters in October 2022 after fleeing their home in Egypt. She said they were detained at the airport upon arrival and released into the city three days later on recognisance, but without humanitarian assistance. Amer approached the Social Welfare Department for food and shelter in March but was given only two packets of biscuits. “They have been made extremely destitute and desperate,” a spokesman from the NGO Refugee Union said.

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3. Pink dress worn by woman holding hands with sacked Chinese executive in ‘mistress’ scandal sells out online

The woman’s pink dress sold out online after the pair were filmed stepping out together. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Xiaomi

A flight attendant leaves the departure hall at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Sam Tsang

New cabin crew hires at Cathay Pacific Airways can earn as much as HK$20,000 (US$2,550) per month following an increase in pay, as part of initiatives to retain employees. Hong Kong’s flag carrier employs over 6,000 flight attendants, down from more than 10,000 before Covid, excluding those who worked for now-closed sister airline Cathay Dragon. Cathay has faced multiple obstacles in its attempts to restore the company to its pre-pandemic status.

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5. Could this 1-dollar Chinese adhesive defeat a billion-dollar US laser weapon?

Researchers in Beijing say they have found a low-cost method of protecting Chinese missiles from laser attacks. Photo: Shutterstock

Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Chatham House dialogue session. Photo: Handout

The United States and China should abandon the “hubris” of claiming superiority of their respective political systems and instead focus on collaborating to advance their self-interests, top Singapore minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said. The 66-year-old announced last week that he was stepping down from the long-dominant People’s Action Party (PAP) to run for the largely ceremonial position of president – a role he said he would use to “project Singapore’s interests and voice of reason in an increasingly turbulent world”.

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