Hongkongers caught carrying more than five vape pods or 100 heat sticks in public will face up to six months behind bars and a HK$50,000 fine from Thursday. Cases involving smaller quantities will attract fines of HK$3,000. The rules cover alternative tobacco products such as vapes, herbal cigarettes and electronic smoking products. They are part […]

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has recorded a 36 per cent drop in net profit in its latest fiscal year, although other figures, including hotel occupancy rate and guests’ per capita spending, trended upwards. The theme park announced its results for its 2024-25 fiscal year, ending in September 2025, on Monday. Amid rising costs, Disneyland saw […]

A government official has said authorities will “look into” the situation after a resident at the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court found rubbish and other items that did not belong to his flat when he retrieved his belongings. The resident of Wang Cheong House, the first block hit by the blaze, told reporters on Tuesday that […]

A Hong Kong political commentator charged with disclosing details of a national security investigation will stand trial in October. Wong Kwok-ngon, known by his pen name Wong On-yin, appeared at the District Court on Tuesday. Judge Stanley Chan said the pre-trial review would take place behind closed doors on August 11, and the trial would […]

By Suy Se Waving their national flags, dozens of Chinese nationals protested outside Cambodia’s central bank on Monday, demanding the unfreezing of accounts they opened with a financial services firm linked to cyberscamming. Some demonstrators wielded umbrellas and clashed with scores of local security personnel armed with batons, leaving at least two protesters bloodied. The […]

A mainland Chinese tourist was rescued after falling into the sea while reportedly taking photos at a lookout point near Clear Water Bay. Police said they received a report just before 11am on Sunday that a woman lost her footing near the Fat Tong Mun Lighthouse and fell into the sea. She was saved by […]

The Buildings Department (BD) did not conduct flammability tests on the scaffold nets covering Wang Fuk Court before the housing estate was struck by a deadly fire last year, an official has told a public inquiry into the blaze. The BD’s assistant director for mandatory building inspection, Karen Cheung, testified on Monday that her department […]

Wang Fuk Court residents continued to return to their fire-scorched housing estate to collect personal belongings over the weekend. One family said they planned to take “one last photo” inside their flat, while a couple brought flowers to mourn a neighbour who died in the blaze. Residents of Wang Cheong House, the tower first hit […]

Ippei-an Ramen & Bar, a Japanese restaurant that has been in operation for 42 years, is located in what people may say is one of Hong Kong’s worst locations. Energy Plaza, a commercial building in Tsim Sha Tsui East, is no longer a lively spot. Quite a number of restaurants have shut down over the […]

By Laurence Benhamou Chinese carmakers have quickly built up their presence in the lucrative European auto market, buoyed by technological advances their competitors are trying to copy, and analysts say their next step is to begin producing locally. Largely unknown in the continent three years ago, brands including BYD, Chery, Geely and XPeng achieved a […]

Chinese startup DeepSeek released a new artificial intelligence model Friday, more than a year after it stunned the world with a low-cost reasoning model that matched the capabilities of US rivals. DeepSeek-V4 “features an ultra-long context of one million words”, the company said in a statement on social media platform WeChat, hailing it as “cost-effective” […]

Oxfam Hong Kong is to raise the city’s living wage to HK$64 per hour from October 1. Originating in the UK as a global movement in 2011, the living wage refers to a wage that allows employees and their families to meet basic needs and enables them to live a decent life. This includes being […]

A Taiwanese government minister has made a rare visit to a Taiwan-controlled island in the hotly contested South China Sea, as the coast guard held drills including a simulated boarding of a suspect vessel. Taiping island, also known as Itu Aba, is the largest in the disputed Spratly archipelago, which is also claimed by China, […]

A labour NGO has urged the Hong Kong government to thoroughly investigate the death of a 59-year-old worker, who was killed by a heavy industrial component at the Kai Tak Hospital construction site. A worker, surnamed Lam, was found unconscious at the construction site at around 5pm on Wednesday, police said. He was sent to […]

China said Wednesday it had “high appreciation” for African countries after several revoked overflight permits, curtailing a planned trip by Taiwan’s leader to Eswatini, the island’s only diplomatic ally on the continent. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island’s participation in international organisations and exchanges with other countries. Taiwan’s President […]

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has postponed an official trip to Eswatini, the democratic island’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, after several countries revoked overflight permits following “intense pressure” from China, a senior aide said Tuesday. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island’s participation in international organisations and exchanges with other […]

The Hong Kong government is seeking to confiscate HK$127 million in assets belonging to pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, following his conviction and jail term under the national security law. Lai has been summoned to the High Court on July 8 to hear the government’s application. The case will be presided over by Esther Toh, […]

Hong Kong will launch a public consultation this quarter on its first five-year blueprint in tandem with China’s, Chief Executive John Lee has said, earlier than previously announced. Speaking at his weekly press conference on Tuesday morning, Lee said, “The government is working hard and aiming to release the public consultation documents for the five-year […]

Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni underwent “successful” surgery in Beijing on Monday, former Cambodian leader Hun Sen said, after the royal announced he had prostate cancer. Sihamoni, 72, shared his diagnosis earlier this month, saying he would stay in China for prolonged treatment. The monarch had surgery at a Beijing hospital on Monday morning, the Royal […]

Over 113,000 rugby fans turned out for the three-day Hong Kong Sevens, which ran from Friday to Sunday, with South Africa’s men’s team and New Zealand’s women’s team winning the championship titles. In a press release on Sunday, Hong Kong Sevens said 37,000 fans packed Kai Tak Stadium for the final day of the games, […]

The Hong Kong government has announced it will provide diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) subsidies for public and commercial vehicles, amid higher fuel prices due to the ongoing Middle East war. The diesel subsidy of HK$3 per litre will run for two months, from 12am on Thursday to 11.59pm on June 29, finance chief […]

A domestic worker has been arrested on suspicion of child abuse after allegedly putting her employer’s two toddlers in a dog cage on two occasions. Police said they received a report on Tuesday from the children’s mother, who alleged that the Indonesian domestic worker had put the two boys, aged two and three years, in […]

Hong Kong residential estate Richland Gardens has sparked controversy after announcing the hiring of non-local workers as security guards. The owners’ corporation of Richland Gardens – a government-subsidised housing estate in Kowloon Bay – announced on Threads on Monday that its management company was training a group of “non-local security guards,” who started working on […]

Greenpeace has called the Hong Kong government’s planned measures at Sai Kung’s Sharp Island “a toothless tiger,” as authorities predict a daily influx of 1,000 visitors to the ecological hotspot during China’s Golden Week holiday in May. The environmental NGO issued a statement on Tuesday in response to the measures announced by the Agriculture, Fisheries […]

Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has charged two men accused of urging others on social media to boycott and cast blank votes in last year’s legislative elections. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), which oversees Hong Kong’s election legislation, said in a Monday statement that the two men, aged 38 and 63, were charged with alleged […]

Hong Kong police have arrested nine men in a joint operation with law enforcement agencies in six other jurisdictions, targeting the production, use and distribution of child pornography online. The city’s police force said on Monday that Operation Hurdler arrested a total of 326 people in March and April in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, […]

Beijing slammed on Monday an EU plan aimed to bolster the bloc’s industries against fierce competition from China, vowing countermeasures if it is enacted. The EU unveiled in March new “Made in Europe” rules for companies trying to access public funds in strategic sectors including cars, green tech and steel, obliging firms to meet minimum […]

Tibetans outside Chinese control vote on Sunday for a government-in-exile, an election of heightened significance as they brace for an inevitable, eventual, future without their revered spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The India-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) — condemned by China as “nothing but a separatist political group” — is a key institution for the […]

Two giant pandas from China are headed to Atlanta on a new 10-year conservation deal. Pandas Ping Ping, a male, and Fu Shuang, a female, will live at Zoo Atlanta, China Wildlife Conservation Association said in a statement Friday. The organization signed the research agreement with the United States zoo last year, it said, noting […]

Hong Kong is famous for its tiny, cramped living spaces. Many flats lack balconies, making drying laundry a major challenge. As winter gives way to warmer months, many lower-income families hang their garments and bedding in outdoor public areas on sunny days. Some also take food items like dried tangerine peels, salted fish, and dried […]

A man has died after reportedly collapsing during a Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flight from the UK. Police said they received a report at around 6.15am on Friday that a passenger had lost consciousness on an inbound flight. The man, 51, was declared dead at the scene after the aircraft landed at Hong Kong International […]

Neither Hong Kong’s top “disaster” fire alarm signal nor an emergency alert system were deployed during the Tai Po fire because they were “not suitable,” a senior official has told a public inquiry. Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of operations at the Fire Services Department (FSD), testified on Thursday before an independent committee investigating the […]

A Hong Kong actor convicted of rioting at the Legislative Council during the 2019 pro-democracy protests and unrest has lodged an appeal at the Court of Final Appeal. The top court is scheduled to hear a leave to appeal application from Gregory Wong, the Judiciary’s website showed on Thursday. No hearing date has been set […]

Fire hazards like substandard scaffold netting, flammable foam boards and workers smoking on site fell outside the purview of the Fire Services Department (FSD), a senior official has told a public inquiry into the deadly Tai Po blaze. Michael Yung, assistant director of fire safety at the FSD, testified on Wednesday that his department is […]

A former Hong Kong trade office director is running in the UK local elections as a candidate for the right-wing Reform UK party after emigrating to the country two years ago. Lee Sheung-yuen, who worked as a Hong Kong civil servant for 24 years, is contesting a seat on Ealing Council in London. According to […]

Hong Kong has issued 42 fixed penalty notices of HK$2,000 since the first phase of the single-use plastic ban was implemented two years ago. However, with Earth Day on Wednesday marking the second anniversary of the ban, there is no word on when the next phase will be rolled out. It was originally meant to […]

English and Italian football giants Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus will square up for pre-season friendlies in Hong Kong in August, the clubs announced on Tuesday. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, currently arm-wrestling Arsenal for the Premier League title, will take on Inter Milan on Saturday, August 1, spearheaded by their Norwegian goal machine […]

Enforcement agencies “failed in their duties” despite receiving complaints about the renovation project at Wang Fuk Court, a former member of the estate’s owners’ board has told a hearing into the deadly fire. Testifying on Monday, Jason Kong said the renovation project at Wang Fuk Court had numerous warning signs, in particular, flammable items used […]

Thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined for the first time by a significant contingent of Japanese forces, began annual military exercises Monday set against the backdrop of the Middle East war. The war games will feature live-fire exercises in the north of the Philippines facing the Taiwan Strait, as well as a province off […]

Survivors of the deadly Tai Po fire will be allowed to go in and out of their homes multiple times within their designated three-hour slot, a top government official has said, adding that journalists will not be permitted to tag along. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk made the comments on Sunday, a day […]

China will ban the sale of drones in Beijing and require users to apply for permission for all flights in the capital under strict regulations that enter force on Friday. Officials have cited public security for the new rules, which also forbid bringing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or their core components into Beijing. E-commerce platforms […]

The United States led a group of regional countries in calling China’s actions during a dispute over the Panama Canal a “threat,” prompting backlash from Beijing on Wednesday. Washington and Beijing accuse each other of seeking to control the Panama Canal, a vital trade link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Panama took control of […]

Hong Kong authorities have said they will extend their buyout plan to include flats in the only Wang Fuk Court block unaffected by the deadly fire if three-quarters of the owners agree to sell their properties. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong announced the plan at a press conference on Tuesday, around two months after the […]

Meta is preparing to backtrack its acquisition of AI startup Manus, the Wall Street Journal reported late Monday, after China banned the transaction citing national security concerns. Facebook owner Meta announced in December it had agreed to acquire Manus, an artificial intelligence agent created by a company founded in China but now based in Singapore. […]

Hong Kong’s CLP Power will increase its electricity fuel surcharge for the second consecutive month amid rising oil prices, bringing the total electricity tariff to 141.6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). CLP Power, one of the city’s two electricity companies, announced on Wednesday that it would increase the fuel cost adjustment starting from May 1 to […]

China has blocked Meta’s acquisition of AI startup Manus, the top economic planning body said Monday, after a regulatory review that reportedly also saw Beijing restrict two co-founders from leaving the country. Facebook owner Meta had agreed to acquire Manus, an artificial intelligence agent created by a company founded in China but now based in […]

More than 201,000 people took part in Hong Kong’s annual Cinema Day on Saturday, enjoying discounted HK$30 tickets at theatres citywide. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau hailed the event as a “great success.” In a Facebook post on Sunday, the bureau said that this year’s Cinema Day drew 201,519 moviegoers, with 1,694 screenings held […]

In the desert expanse of Turkmenistan, Chinese engineers are hard at work at the vast Galkynysh gas field — a mega project that is deepening the closed Central Asian state’s already extensive ties with Beijing. Energy-rich Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most reclusive and sealed-off states, has stated its desire to diversify its exports towards […]

The Hong Kong government’s attitude to the rule of law is interestingly ambiguous. It wishes to claim credit for being a law-abiding government, but it does not want to sacrifice for this purpose the achievement of other desires. This implicit conflict is nicely wrapped up in the matter of restaurant licences. In any sensible jurisdiction, […]

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has said that a French journalist was denied entry to Hong Kong in November, accusing the city’s authorities of “weaponising visas” against foreign media workers. Antoine Vedeilhe, who was shooting a documentary for French public broadcaster France Télévisions, was questioned upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport on November 2 last […]

The White House on Thursday accused Chinese entities of a massive effort to steal US artificial intelligence technology and vowed to take action to prevent the alleged theft. “The US has evidence that foreign entities, primarily in China, are running industrial-scale distillation campaigns to steal American AI,” White House science and technology chief Michael Kratsios […]

A survivor of the deadly Tai Po fire has urged the government to make better arrangements for residents to retrieve personal belongings and allow a longer time to visit their flats. Jason Kong, a resident at the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court and former member of the estate owners’ corporation, told local media on Thursday that […]

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi called for the complete eradication of scam centres in Cambodia during a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry. Cambodia hosts dozens of scam centres with tens of thousands of people perpetrating online scams — some willingly and others trafficked — in a […]

Dengue fever poses a “moderate” risk to Hong Kong, a health official has said after the city recorded its first local case of the infection this year. Albert Au, head of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP), said in an RTHK radio programme on Wednesday that rising temperatures and the imminent rainy season made environments […]

A Hong Kong government pilot scheme to relocate elderly social security recipients to care homes in Guangdong province has seen 10 beneficiaries since its launch in October. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun revealed the figure in a written reply to a lawmaker last month, saying that the 10 elderly residents had been assigned […]

On-site inspections did not find evidence of workers smoking despite repeated complaints from residents, Labour Department officers have told a public inquiry into the fatal Wang Fuk Court fire. Three occupational safety officers from the Labour Department testified on Tuesday before an independent committee investigating the inferno, local media reported. Lam Sau-ching, an occupational safety […]

China’s equivalent of Netflix, iQIYI, faced backlash on Monday over a new initiative that facilitates the use of actors’ likenesses in artificially generated dramas and films. More than 100 celebrities have joined a platform to connect with makers of AI-generated content interested in using their image, a senior executive told a conference in Beijing. China’s […]

Residents of the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po have begun returning home to collect personal belongings for the first time since the deadly tragedy in November. Around 270 people returned to their flats in Wang Sun House, one of the seven blocks engulfed by the blaze, on Monday. Residents of each […]

A former administrator at an international kindergarten has been jailed for two years and one month after pleading guilty to accepting over HK$640,000 in bribes to help secure admissions for children applying to the school. Fatima Rumjahn, an ex-administrator at the English Schools Foundation’s (ESF) Wu Kai Sha International Kindergarten, appeared at the West Kowloon […]

A humanoid robot competing against flesh-and-blood runners broke the world record at a Beijing half marathon on Sunday, showcasing the rapid technological advancement achieved by Chinese makers. Spectators lined the roads in Yizhuang in the capital’s south to watch the machines and their human rivals race, each group in a separate lane to avoid accidents […]