A morning stop for breakfast before work. A coffee picked up between meetings. A grocery stop on the way home. A stop for health and beauty products. A weekend trip to choose furniture for a growing family. A rewards offer that helps make the weekly shop go further.
These are ordinary moments in Hong Kong life. Yet for DFI Retail Group, they represent the foundation of a business that has grown with the city for 140 years.
Founded in Hong Kong in 1886, DFI has evolved from a local enterprise...
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei seems to believe that he, the American artificial intelligence (AI) industry and the United States are the only ones who should have the right to determine the fate of humanity.
While he pays lip service to involving other democracies in AI development, which ones remotely approach the technological capacities of the US and China? Do other non-democratic developing countries not count?
His self-belief is far more dangerous than mere commercial greed. Like Peter Thiel,...
The US Air Force has brought home its bombers stationed at a US-run military airbase in England used to strike Iran following an investigation into a planned terror attack at the RAF Fairford base.
The bombers were redeployed back to their home bases in the United States, according to a Pentagon official who was not authorised to discuss sensitive military movements and spoke on Sunday on condition of anonymity.
Aviation watchers such as the Military Air Tracking Alliance have observed dozens of...
Bosnian Serb nationalist politician Milorad Dodik has declared victory for his party in an election in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday that was shaped by economic pressures, the prospect of the Balkan nation joining the European Union and ethnic tensions that have divided the country since its brutal 1992–95 war.
Dodik is a staunchly pro-Russia politician who, despite not appearing on the ballot, has dominated the campaign and inflamed divisions with separatist rhetoric that have sparked fears...
Iran’s top diplomat insisted on Sunday that there would be no military solution to the United States’ war against the Islamic republic, with talks on ending the conflict apparently at an impasse.
A campaign of heavy bombardment failed to bring a decisive close to the war launched by the US and Israel in late February, and Washington in recent weeks has dialled back military operations in favour of economic pressure.
The main point of contention remains Iran’s attempt to blockade the Strait of...
Brazilians queued to vote on Sunday in the first round of a tight election, following a campaign dominated by corruption scandals, economic anxiety and accusations of US meddling.
The field of 13 candidates has been led by two clear front runners – leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 80, who is seeking a fourth term, and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who hopes to return his father’s right-wing movement to power.
A victory for the...
Police in Moscow detained about 60 people at a rally on Sunday held by Russia’s Kremlin-friendly Communist Party, the party said.
The party said in a statement that the detentions happened as the rally was ending and that its Moscow branch was working to get those who were detained – mostly young people – released.
The rally marked the anniversary of the Kremlin’s 1993 crushing of a parliamentary uprising.
The Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti said protesters chanted slogans including...
Up to 500 schools across France will be totally or partly closed on Monday because of a wave of pupil protests that has shaken the country, the education minister said.
Lessons will be “totally or partly suspended” in some “400-500” high schools as the security conditions “have not been fulfilled”, said Education Minister Edouard Geffray on Sunday, adding that 24 schools had been “burned or ransacked” since the start of the movement.
He described the closures as chiefly a security precaution...
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George Long does not talk like a man selling vision. The founder, chairman and chief investment officer of LIM Advisors is understated and unshowy. After three decades running an independent firm in Hong Kong, what comes through is a temperament suited to difficult Asian markets: calm, pragmatic and focused on protecting capital when conditions turn.
How the business began
Long left Barclays’ Asia Pacific asset...
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The Link Hong Kong Open 2026 is set to host the ultimate ‘Par-tee’ for golf fans from across the region during its historic 65th staging of the world-famous tournament from October 22 to 25 at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling. The Jockey Club Fan Village offers non-stop entertainment right near the green next to the first tee daily from 7:00am to 6:00pm.
Inside the bustling village, visitors of all ages can enjoy...
Hong Kong police officers were attempting to force their way into a flat at a Wong Tai Sin estate on Sunday night after a woman suspected of carrying a knife and wandering in the area was traced to the home during a search.
Police received a report at about 6.50pm that a woman in her forties carrying a knife had travelled from Diamond Hill MTR station towards the nearby Plaza Hollywood shopping centre.
Officers were deployed to the scene and searched the area.
Members of the Counter Terrorism...
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Nine young construction competitors from the Construction Industry Council returned from WorldSkills Shanghai with three Medallions for Excellence, the strongest finish the CIC has recorded at the competition.
The honours went to Law Chak-sum in painting and decorating, Tse Yu-lok in welding, and the concrete construction work team of Huang To-kong and Wan Tsz-ho.
It was Hong Kong’s first WorldSkills honour in concrete...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he believed Russia may have shared jet-drone technology with its long-standing ally North Korea.
In recent weeks, Russia has sharply increased its use of jet-drones against Ukraine, which so far has no effective means of countering them other than using combat aircraft.
Earlier in the war, North Korea supplied Russia with millions of artillery shells and it has since provided ballistic missiles that Moscow regularly uses to attack...
Losses linked to the abrupt closure of Hotstone Yoga have risen to nearly HK$8 million (US$1 million), with close to 700 reports filed by affected customers in Hong Kong, according to authorities.
The Customs and Excise Department said that as of 6pm on Sunday, it had received 694 reports relating to the yoga chain, involving service contracts worth about HK$7.8 million.
The Consumer Council said it had received 416 complaints by 5pm the same day, with claimed losses totalling HK$5.42...
More than 1,500 Hong Kong residents toured the revamped Huanggang Port border crossing on Sunday as authorities pushed ahead with preparations for its opening.
A Security Bureau spokesman said that participants took franchised buses or cross-boundary coaches from various districts to reach the crossing and were shown the new port building in groups.
“The event effectively enhanced participants’ understanding of the public transport arrangements, immigration and customs clearance and...
What was meant to be a few glorious moments could spark policy reform in South Korea after post-match comments from a couple of gold-medal-winning footballers triggered heated debate.
South Korea beat hosts Japan 1-0 at the Toyota Stadium to win their fourth straight – and seventh overall – men’s football title at the Asian Games, leading to 20 of the 23-strong squad earning exemptions from military service.
While the exemption was not an exclusive perk for the country’s footballers but for all...
The Hong Kong Observatory has issued an amber rainstorm warning, with the signal expected to remain in place until 10pm on Sunday.
The weather forecaster issued the warning at 8.20pm.
“A few squally thunderstorms are expected to occur over Hong Kong,” a spokesman for the Observatory said.
Showers would be heavy at times in the evening.
The forecaster also warned that intense gusts reaching 70km/h (43mph) could affect the city.
It said there would be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained...
A 60-year-old Hong Kong woman has lost more than HK$21 million (US$2.7 million) in a cryptocurrency scam after a fraudster posing as an investment expert she met online duped her.
The clerk reported the case to police on Saturday, saying she had befriended an individual claiming to be an investment specialist on “Baby Kingdom”, a popular online parenting forum and community website, on March 15 this year, a source said.
The fraudster duped her into investing on a fake cryptocurrency platform...
Thousands of young protesters and opposition parties staged protests in the national capital and Mumbai on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Election Commission Chief Gyanesh Kumar, as police detained demonstrators for a third consecutive day.
Opposition leaders Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray led protests in Mumbai calling for the scrapping of revisions to the electoral roll and Kumar’s resignation.
In Delhi, protesters started gathering in the early evening and police started...
Hong Kong health authorities will deploy on-site staff and step up support via a dedicated hotline for patients visiting Kai Tak Hospital amid booking and transport queries as the city’s largest public hospital begins its phased opening.
From Monday, Kai Tak Hospital’s family medicine integrated centre will start operations, while specialist outpatient services and automated features in the hospital’s blood-taking services are scheduled to launch in late October.
Dr Eric Cheung Fuk-chi, cluster...
For American and Chinese people interested in the outcome of the latest summit between China’s President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, their conclusions could not be more different if they turn to the media and pundits for guidance.
Chinese state media spared no superlative, echoing the official description of the summit as: forging the right way for the major powers to get along and writing a new chapter in ties. It played up the fact that Trump gave Xi the highest-level reception...
In the third instalment of a four-part Health Matters series on traditional Chinese medicine, Aidyn Fitzpatrick speaks to a Hong Kong fencer studying TCM and local practitioners to see how athletes, both elite and amateur, are using TCM alongside Western medicine for smarter injury recovery.
Fresh off helping Hong Kong clinch a bronze medal in the women’s foil team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, fencer Janelle Leung Ya-lei – ranked 53rd in the world – knows the fine margin between peak...
Most trade ministers from the world’s largest economies disagreed with calls to curb excess industrial capacity at a Group of 20 (G20) trade meeting that ended on Thursday, according to China’s commerce ministry, a view that contrasts with a US statement that a “handful” of countries objected.
“The issues related to excess industrial capacity and forced labour have been highly controversial,” a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday about the two-day G20 Trade...
It is no secret that Chinese emperors had many women in their lives, and the imperial concubine system was a significant feature of feudal social structures.
Ming-era (1368–1644) emperors could have upwards of 9,000 consorts, ostensibly to ensure an heir. Unfortunately, these women often existed in gilded prisons, barred from leaving the palace grounds and frequently subject to the wrath of a cruel emperor.
However, one leader stands out for doing just the opposite; the Hongzhi Emperor (r....
Russia struck a bridge in Kyiv on Sunday soon after Germany’s chancellor arrived in Ukraine’s capital on a surprise visit to demonstrate European support in the face of an upsurge in attacks.
Air raid sirens blared across Kyiv, urging residents to shelter soon after Friedrich Merz arrived under tight security, with warnings of approaching Russian attack drones.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko then confirmed that a strike had damaged the road surface on the Northern Bridge – one of several connecting...
Taipei’s dilemma over its history during World War II appeared to deepen as Beijing and Washington looked to the Flying Tigers as a source of connection and goodwill during last month’s Xi–Trump summit.
US President Donald Trump’s description of China as an American ally during the war has raised concerns in Taiwan that what could have been a valuable historical connection with the United States ended up benefiting Beijing’s ties with Washington.
The dilemma resurfaced after Trump and Chinese...
Hong Kong’s first Legislative Council president suggested reviewing the number of seats in the city’s legislature, citing the need to use public funds properly.
Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai also said on Sunday that Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities had discussed the development of a plot at the two cities’ border before the handover to Chinese rule in 1997, but the plan failed because of opposition within the government.
Fan made the remarks during an appearance on a radio show, in which she was asked...
Fifty years after Sylvester Stallone pulled off one of Hollywood’s all-time long shots with Rocky (1976), the star of the Oscar-winning film still identifies with the character who for many embodies the outsider proving all the naysayers wrong.
But he no longer claims to be an underdog.
“It would be so disingenuous to say you’re an underdog, ‘as he said from his penthouse’,” Stallone says, on a high floor of a luxury Manhattan hotel. “Yeah. Come on. I am a lucky dog.”
Stallone, who turned 80 in...
At a two-day trade exhibition in Hong Kong earlier this week, Vera Nikitina, a representative of Russian confectionery producer Belyov Pastila Manufacture, was looking for new buyers – while also trying to reassure them that the company’s products were genuinely made in Russia.
The company made its first attempt to enter China in 2019, before beginning regular shipments and establishing a local office in 2022-23. Its sales grew in 2024 amid booming Chinese demand for Russian consumer goods.
That...
When the Auspicious Ark entered Dakar, Senegal, on September 25, the scene looked closer to a public health mission than a naval deployment. Senegalese people and members of the Chinese community were waiting at the port as the vessel arrived for the first visit by a Chinese naval hospital ship to Senegal.
The Auspicious Ark is a PLA Navy vessel. That places the visit within a wider Chinese maritime presence in Africa, something more often associated with anti-piracy patrols, port calls,...
Despite signs that Hong Kong property prices could have bottomed out and begun rebounding in August, market sources said at least 100 secondary residential homes were sold at a loss in September, up from at least 81 the previous month.
Hong Kong’s property market dodged an immediate setback from the US Federal Reserve’s rate increase in September, and agents estimated that home prices could end the year 15 per cent higher than a year earlier. The positive trend, however, did not generally apply...
A cluster of whale and whale shark strandings across Indonesia – five in the past three weeks alone – has raised questions over whether such incidents are becoming more frequent, with experts pointing to a mix of environmental shifts, human activity and improved reporting as possible explanations.
On September 25, a whale shark became stranded and died on a beach in Aceh province, just days after a decomposed whale carcass was discovered in a mangrove in Riau province. Another whale was found...
Beijing has hit back at a US lawmaker’s criticism of coffee chain Starbucks for opening its first stores in Xinjiang, rejecting the allegation that China has committed human rights abuses against the far-western region’s mostly Muslim Uygur population.
Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Saturday said claims of “genocide” in Xinjiang were a “blatant lie” and accused the “US group” who raised the suggestions of attacking Beijing for political purposes.
“Today’s Xinjiang enjoys social...
A 20-year-old US marine was arrested on Sunday in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture on suspicion of robbing and murdering a local woman, police said.
Davin Ballard stationed at the Futenma Airbase is suspected of killing Anna Yagi, 39, and taking her wallet and backpack in the early hours of Saturday at a hotel in Naha, according to the Okinawa prefectural police. The suspect has denied the charges, they added.
Ballard was seen entering the hotel with Yagi, who was found dead on Saturday morning, the...
Funds raised through initial public offerings in Hong Kong more than doubled year on year to over HK$388 billion (US$49.4 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, already surpassing the total amount for the whole of last year, according to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po.
Adding to the positive outlook, Clara Chan Ka-chai, CEO of the government-owned Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), noted on Sunday that more than 30 of its portfolio firms were preparing to apply for Hong Kong...
A flight bound for Okinawa returned to Hong Kong airport on Sunday morning after its landing gear was suspected to have failed to fully retract after take-off.
Hong Kong Airlines said the crew of flight HX676, which departed at 8.57am, decided to return to ensure flight safety, in line with standard procedures.
“[The flight] encountered a suspected incomplete landing gear retraction issue after take-off,” the airline said.
The aircraft landed safely at 10am, with no injuries reported on board....
Japan is traditionally seen as a reliable host for major sporting events but an Asian Games dogged by organisational woes has tarnished that image and raised questions over future bids, experts say.
The Games in Aichi-Nagoya saw a catalogue of mishaps, from athletes bused to the wrong venues to the North Korean national anthem played for the South Korean hockey team.
There were not enough beds for the over 17,000 athletes and officials, a bigger number than the Olympics.
Countries complained of...
On the edge of western China’s Taklamakan Desert, in a county where sand covers 90 per cent of the land, an unlikely harvest is heading to market: Australian freshwater crayfish.
As China begins its National Day “golden week” holiday, a farm in Maigaiti county, in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region’s Kashgar prefecture, is pulling 250 to 300kg (551 to 661lbs) of the premium crustaceans from its ponds every day.
Native to Australia’s rivers and streams, freshwater crayfish are now being raised...
Huge billboards on the walls of Tehran mocking US President Donald Trump and depicting American drones under the boot of an Iranian soldier are providing a chronicle of Iran’s war with the United States and Israel.
Khaneh-ye Tarrahan, or Designers’ House, produces the billboards with anti-US messaging for prominent locations in Tehran where they are seen daily by large crowds of passers-by, including the city’s famed Valiasr Square.
The team created a towering portrayal of Trump’s lips sewn and...
Opened in the 1950s, Sai Woo was a two-storey restaurant in Toronto’s Chinatown, with a traditional Chinese banquet hall on the upper floor. Designed for wedding celebrations, the space featured a canopy with two columns, a golden dragon entwined on one and a phoenix on the other. Lazy Susans sat atop the round banquet tables.
Chinatown was also home to Charlie’s Meat and Seafood, a white-tiled butcher shop that opened in 1971. Inside was a glass display case filled with cuts of meat. On the...
Future settlers on Mars would need houses, but they must either spend huge sums transporting construction materials from Earth or use enormous amounts of energy to melt Martian soil into bricks.
Scientists in Hong Kong say they have developed a quick and low-cost “living” building material made from genetically engineered yeast, gelatin and sand that can be 3D printed under conditions simulating the Martian environment.
Their study, published online last month in Chem Circularity, an...
For months, the air over West Kalimantan has been thick enough to taste. Now, some of the province’s residents are taking the government to court over it.
Indonesia’s worst wildfire season in 11 years has been sending plumes of toxic haze drifting across borders to Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines since at least August.
But nowhere has been worse hit than West Kalimantan, where more than 48,000 hectares (185 square miles) of land and forest have burned since the start of the year,...
Hong Kong should enact laws on data governance and underlying safety standards to ensure the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), experts have said, as the government pledged to tackle disputes or crimes involving the technology’s application with tailored legislation.
They also said that legislation was needed to define liability boundaries, which could bolster business and public confidence in expanding its adoption.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in his recent policy...
Three male students have been detained by police in connection with the murder of a Form Four female student whose body was discovered at a school in Yong Peng, Malaysia’s Johor state, on Saturday.
The victim, identified as 16-year-old Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal, was found dead inside the school hall at around 5.30pm, Sinar Harian reported.
Police arrested the three 16-year-old suspects, who attend the same school as the victim, just hours after the body was uncovered.
One of the suspects...
With only a few days left, Paris Fashion Week continues to deliver good collections that showcase the best of French fashion. Here’s what you need to know about the top shows of day 5 and 6: Hermès, Celine, Loewe and Givenchy, plus a dispatch from Messika’s high jewellery show.
Celine’s Michael Rider knows how to please fashion people. His shows – both the clothes and the events themselves – are always refreshing.
Held under a thatched roof reminiscent of a Polynesian hut in the courtyard of...
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words.
I am writing in response to the op-ed, “3 easy wins to modernise Hong Kong’s education system” (September 4), particularly its argument that assessment must adapt to artificial intelligence.
The most useful change would not be another rule telling students whether artificial...
Two decades after stepping away from the spotlight, iconic actress Joey Wong made an unexpected return to the screen – not through a traditional production, but via artificial intelligence-powered reconstruction.
In a two-minute video by NetEase this summer, Wong, one of the most well-known actresses of the 1980s and 90s, had some of her most celebrated roles recreated, including the beautiful ghost in A Chinese Ghost Story and an alluring snake demon in Green Snake.
The revival is just the tip...
Cornell University president Michael Kotlikoff said he was “deeply disturbed” by a student’s 2024 rape allegation that has drawn national outrage.
“My heart aches when I think of what she experienced,” Kotlikoff said in a video message released on Saturday, saying the university must “do everything we can to prevent what happened to Jane Doe” from happening again.
Lawyers for a Jane Doe last month filed a civil lawsuit against the Ivy League university, its leaders, the Chi Phi fraternity, her...
US President Donald Trump shared online the supposed phone number of a Republican US senator on Saturday in an escalating dispute over making daylight saving time permanent.
In a social media post, the president urged people to call a phone number he said belonged to Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who opposes the Trump-backed Sunshine Protection Act. The act would end the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks by one hour.
Trump says most Americans want more afternoon sunlight,...
Rooted in ancient symbols and Renaissance architecture, this season’s stand-out jewellery collections bring fresh energy to iconic motifs and precious gemstones.
Bibi Van Der Velden
From ancient Egypt to the art deco movement, the scarab motif has been a near-constant in jewellery. Dutch designer Bibi Van Der Velden is a big fan, with her scarab rings becoming a signature of her brand. The designer recently expanded her collection with The Scarab Pinky Rings, five smaller rings designed...
With proteinmaxxing and fibremaxxing trends both taking over, it can be difficult to understand which is more important.
Should we focus on eating enough protein each day and hitting our targets, or should fibre be the priority for gut health and well-being?
To answer these questions, we spoke to two dietitians, who shared their expert advice and explained how protein and fibre can complement each other.
“Both are important,” says Dr Linia Patel, a UK-based women’s health dietitian, performance...
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs’ party was on course to win the largest share of votes in an election on Saturday amid growing security threats from Russia, putting him in a strong position ahead of coalition talks to form the next government.
The United List secured 35.6 per cent of the vote, according to an exit poll released by LTV public broadcaster. If confirmed, this would be the best result of any party in Latvian parliamentary elections since the Baltic nation regained...
When one of my seniors from medical school was pregnant during her surgical residency, she planned the exact date of her C-section so she could complete her training on time. When I asked why she didn’t consider taking maternity leave to recuperate afterwards, she said she couldn’t bring herself to lag behind her peers. “I didn’t want motherhood to slow me down,” she said.
In medicine, it is common for women to delay childbearing until after their early career years, often into their...
More than 30,000 Hong Kong fans gave Gianni Infantino their raucous verdict on his leadership of world football on Saturday, before and after watching the city team beat Cambodia 2-0 to be crowned inaugural Fifa Asean Challenge Cup champions.
Infantino, the Fifa president, was lustily booed when he delivered the trophy to the pitch alongside local football association president Pui Kwan-kay before kick-off. When he returned to present the spoils to Hong Kong, the stadium PA was raised to an...
Authorities have launched a probe into the building quality of a luxury residential development in one of Hong Kong’s most expensive neighbourhoods in the Southern district after receiving a complaint from an owner that insufficient steel bars were used during construction.
The Buildings Department said on Saturday it was “very concerned about the matter” relating to One Stanley in Stanley, but stressed that its previous inspections did not find any imminent danger.
The department said it would...
Christie’s auctioneer Rupert Banner leans forward with practised showmanship as bidding stalls on a rare Yongzheng bowl near New York’s iconic Rockefeller Centre. He pauses as if willing offers from thin air, scanning dozens of in-person buyers and phone banks connecting with China, London, Texas.
It will be a bad look if the frenzy abates for this delicate peach-decorated bowl highlighted on Christie’s glossy Chinese sale catalogue and online advertising. But bidding soon resumes with a...
The US is set to deploy one of its signature anti-ship missile systems to the Japanese island closest to Taiwan, an unprecedented move that comes as tensions in the region between Beijing and Tokyo continue to simmer.
The ground-based US uncrewed missile platform known as the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) will be deployed on Yonaguni Island in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture during biennial joint exercises this month, according to the regional bureau of the Japanese...
Jay Rooney
GRAND PATCH - R6 (2)
Had plenty of excuses first up and looks well placed to atone here
Owen Goulding
HELENE SUPAFEELING - R11 (1)
Trialled well leading in, has drawn a good gate and will get a strong gallop to chase
Paul Lally
CONGHUA GALAXY - R10 (9)
Terrific third on his local debut up the straight and should strip fitter
Phillip Woo
GRAND PATCH - R6 (2)
Resumed a badly held-up fourth and has since won a trial
Trackwork Spy
SOLID STATE - R11 (2)
Looks far better placed back...
Business-class flights, once largely the domain of company reps on paid trips, are becoming more popular among tourists in China who do not mind spending a bit extra for a comfortable ride from start to finish, industry insiders said.
Businesspeople once occupied 90 per cent of the spacious seats, but have lost that edge to leisure travellers who can buy their way out of economy class but not into first class, said Wong Hong, director general of the 18-member Association of Asia Pacific...
Hong Kong public universities will raise undergraduate tuition fees for non-local students studying general courses by up to 26 per cent in the 2027-28 academic year, marking the sharpest increase in recent years as institutions adjust to an expanded quota.
Non-local students admitted to the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) medicine and dentistry programmes will face the steepest jump, with annual tuition rising by 137 per cent to HK$590,000 (US$75,187) to recover the high costs of clinical...
