Reading view

Village fostered new philosophy of development

More than two decades ago, Yucun, a village in Anji county of East China's Zhejiang province, was known for what locals called the "stone economy". Quarrying and cement production brought income and once made Yucun one of Anji's better-off villages, but the prosperity came at a heavy environmental cost: Hills stripped bare, waterways polluted and the air thick with dust.
  •  

Wu's triumph adds to China's snooker legacy

Chinese snooker player Wu Yize delivered a decisive break on Monday to seal an 18-17 victory over England's Shaun Murphy at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, the United Kingdom, capping one of the most dramatic finals in recent years at the World Snooker Championship 2026.
  •  

Boy, 13, shoots 2 dead at Brazil school

A teenage boy shot dead two staff members and injured two other people, including a student, at a school in northeast Brazil on Tuesday, prompting panicked students to try to escape over a wall, authorities and a witness said. A 13-year-old boy was arrested over the attack at Sao Jose Institute in Rio Branco, the capital of Acre state, the local government said in a statement. Eduardo Rodrigues Cavalcante, who works as a receptionist at a hotel next to the school, said that when the shooting...

  •  

Trans alum sues former secondary school over ‘discriminatory’ hair policies

School discrimination

A transgender alum has sued her former secondary school over “discriminatory” policies that barred her from having long hair.

Lung Kung World Federation School Limited (LKWFSL) Lau Wong Fat Secondary School in Tai Kok Tsui.
Lung Kung World Federation School Limited (LKWFSL) Lau Wong Fat Secondary School in Tai Kok Tsui. Photo: LKWFSL Lau Wong Fat Secondary School.

Oscar Fung, who studied at Lung Kung World Federation School Limited (LKWFSL) Lau Wong Fat Secondary School in Tai Kok Tsui from 2019 to 2025, filed a writ in the District Court on Thursday, local media reported.

According to the writ, Fung experienced gender dysphoria at the age of 14 when her parents separated.

During the Lunar New Year holiday in 2024, Fung decided to grow out her hair. However, she was reprimanded at school after the break because her hair exceeded the length permitted for male students and was accused of violating school rules.

The writ stated that Fung was scolded by two teachers for almost 30 minutes one day, with the teacher threatening to withdraw her from science competitions she was representing the school in.

Equal Opportunities Commission
Equal Opportunities Commission. Photo: Kelly Ho/HKFP.

Fung felt embarrassed and angry as other students witnessed the scene. She was then sent to the disciplinary teacher, who accused her of “cosplaying as a girl” and told her to cut her hair.

The writ also mentioned that Fung had filed a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission, but it was dismissed.

‘Injury to feelings’

Fung alleged in the writ that the school had breached the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, as female students were allowed to grow long hair while male students were not.

She asked the court to declare the school’s rules discriminatory and to order it to pay damages for “injury to feelings,” a term under the ordinance.

The District Court in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, on November 2, 2023. Photo: Hans Tse/HKFP.
District Court in Wan Chai. File photo: Hans Tse/HKFP.

The writ also stated that one of the school’s vice principals, Pang King-fai, had twice dismissed the Sex Discrimination Ordinance.

During a meeting with Fung before the 2023-24 school year ended, Pang said the school was not subject to the Sex Discrimination Ordinance.

The second instance was during a ceremony on the first day of school for the 2024-25 academic year in September 2024. Pang told pupils publicly that male students’ hairstyles did not fall under the ordinance, and any challenges would be handled through disciplinary measures.

According to the writ, another vice principal, Li Wing-yee, told Fung that if she did not abide by the school’s rules, she should change schools.

A hearing for the case has been scheduled for July 15, according to the Judiciary’s website.

  •  

Trump admin sued over dumping of White House debris, tests show toxic metals

Debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing that was dumped at a nearby public golf course has tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals, the National Park Service said. An interim report by a Virginia engineering firm says the toxic metals, along with PCBs, pesticides, petroleum by-products and other chemicals were detected at levels above laboratory reporting limits in soil at the East Potomac Golf Links, a historic golf course that US President Donald Trump plans...

  •  
❌