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A Hong Kong lawmaker has questioned a proposed pay rise for top government officials, asking whether a salary increase was appropriate considering the wider economic conditions and the city’s high unemployment rate. Tik Chi-yuen, the city’s sole self-proclaimed non-pro-establishment lawmaker, said in a Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting on Monday that he understood the mechanism of […]

Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai will stand trial over national security and sedition charges at the city’s High Court, where the maximum sentence is life in prison. The founder of the defunct tabloid Apple Daily appeared in front of Principal Magistrate Peter Law, Lai, along with six former staff members of the newspaper […]

By Ben Cowling and Theo Chan Stage three of the Vaccine Pass will start in Hong Kong on May 31, by which time all applicable individuals aged 12 or above (except those with a documented infection and in certain special groups) will need to have received at least two doses of Covid-19 vaccines and have […]

A fund set up by the Hong Kong government to compensate those who suffered from adverse reactions to Covid-19 vaccinations paid out HK$2 million in a case relating to a post-vaccination death, an official document has revealed. The Legislative Council approved the HK$1 billion fund to provide financial support to people who suffered unexpected serious […]

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has confirmed that the next phase of Hong Kong’s Covid-19 Vaccine Pass will go ahead as scheduled on May 31, despite experts urging the government to relax the requirement for those under 60. Lam’s confirmation came on Tuesday after two University of Hong Kong (HKU) medics wrote an opinion piece in […]

A teenager who was among the 12 Hongkongers caught by the mainland Chinese coastguard while trying to escape to Taiwan by speedboat in 2020 has pleaded guilty in his 2019 protest-related case. Cheng Tsz-ho, now aged 19, appeared before Judge Douglas Yau at the District Court on Tuesday. He pleaded guilty to being in possession […]

Hong Kong government officials, legislators and police officers remained the targets of doxxing, the city’s privacy watchdog has said, despite a new privacy law passed last year criminalising the disclosure of personal data with malicious intent. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) handled a total of 842 doxxing cases last year, […]

The Hong Kong Judiciary released an updated version of its Guide to Judicial Conduct on Monday, 18 years after the handbook was first introduced in 2004. The new handbook includes behavioural guidelines for judges and judicial officers on topics such as the use of social media. “Judges’ use of social media in their private activities […]

Three student activists staged a demonstration outside the US consulate in Hong Kong on Saturday in support of abortion rights. Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court confirmed the authenticity of a leaked draft opinion suggesting that Roe Vs. Wade – a case that gave rise to the legalisation of abortion – would soon be […]

Hundreds of students at an elite Beijing university have protested against strict Covid-19 curbs on campus, in a rare show of defiance as anger mounts over virus controls. China is the only major country adhering to a rigid zero-Covid policy and its restrictions have prompted frustration with lockdowns, spartan quarantine facilities and heavy handed enforcement. In […]

Shanghai on Tuesday declared it had achieved “zero-Covid” across all its districts, sparking derision on social media as millions in China’s biggest city remained under lockdown. Confronted with its worst outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic, China — the last major economy still closed off to the world — put the city of 25 […]

At a busy intersection in Prince Edward on Saturday, a bicycle placed on the roadside caught the eyes of passers-by. Completely covered in white paint, it sat hauntingly beside a bunch of white silk flowers and a plastic card which read: “In memoriam Mr Yuen-cheung, 68.” It included the date and time of the road […]

Royston Chow, the former chief operating officer at Next Digital Limited, has become a witness for the prosecution in an ongoing fraud trial involving his former boss, Jimmy Lai. Next Digital is the parent company of the defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. Chow – with Lai and former director of administration at Next Digital Wong […]

A raid on a Hong Kong triad leader’s birthday party resulted in police issuing more than HK$1 million (US$127,388) in fines for breaching the city’s strict coronavirus rules, local media and official reports revealed Monday. Saturday night saw one of the largest mass fines to date when anti-triad officers raided a seafood restaurant where some […]

Hong Kong could face a sixth wave of Covid-19 in two weeks’ time, Gabriel Leung, the dean of the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) medical school, has said, according to local media. According to HK01 and RTHK, Leung said during an internal HKU medical faculty meeting on Saturday that the city could see another wave […]

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive-elect has said that threats to national security must be handled “in accordance with the law,” when asked about the recent arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen. During an appearance on a Commercial Radio show on Sunday, the host recounted the recent arrest of the 90-year-old Zen and asked Lee whether it had […]

by Sam Reeves China has withdrawn as the 2023 Asian Cup host due to the coronavirus, football officials said Saturday, with Beijing’s strict zero-Covid strategy dealing another blow to the country’s sporting ambitions. Authorities in China are pursuing a strategy of stamping out the virus entirely, which includes rapid lockdowns and mass testing, and millions in Shanghai have […]

At the end of a twisting, 20-odd minute bus journey from Shau Kei Wan in Hong Kong’s Eastern District stands a modest modernist structure in concrete and masonry – Shek O Bus Terminus. For 67 years, it has silently and steadfastly welcomed residents and visitors to the sprawling seaside village of the same name, succumbing […]

by Holmes Chan and Jerome Taylor Recent rate hikes from the Federal Reserve have come at a bad time for Hong Kong which, thanks to its US dollar peg, must follow suit despite its own flagging economy. Hong Kong has pegged its currency to the US dollar since 1983, which has helped the city weather economic storms such […]

Two labour groups have called on bus companies to give staff a pay rise, adding that employees’ base salaries have been frozen for two years and they have had their hours slashed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Representatives from the Hong Kong Franchised Bus Employees General Union and the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour […]

Lantau Peak, Hong Kong’s second highest mountain after Tai Mo Shan, is a gentle giant worth tackling even if you’re not an avid hiker. The 934-metre peak also known as Fung Wong Shan (Phoenix Mountain) looks daunting but the climb is doable for anyone with a little willpower and patience. The peak offers vistas of […]

By Laurie Chen with Eyul Deniz in Istanbul A leaked list of thousands of detained Uyghurs has helped Nursimangul Abdureshid shed some light on the whereabouts of her missing family members, who have disappeared in China’s sweeping crackdown on Xinjiang. Researchers estimate over one million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are being held in […]

Top Hong Kong microbiologists have urged residents not to worry after health authorities on Thursday said “very high viral loads” had been found in sewage samples from a public housing estate in Kennedy Town. An overnight lockdown at the estate identified 22 Covid-19 cases. A total of 1,680 people at Sai Wan Estate underwent Covid-19 […]

Two transgender men have been granted permission to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal over a government policy that a transgender person can only change the gender on their Hong Kong identity card (HKID) if they undergo full sex reassignment surgery. Henry Edward Tse and another transgender man, identified only as Q, challenged that […]

An education foundation affiliated with the defunct pro-democracy labour group, the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), has announced that it will disband following a members’ vote, citing political risk. According to a statement released on Thursday, the CTU Education Foundation Limited had stopped handling operations matters and auditing, and hired professionals to facilitate […]

Three burglars who carried out a record-breaking US$637 million art heist in Hong Kong but remained oblivious to the value of their historic haul were jailed Friday, local media reported. Hong Kong’s art community was rocked by the theft that included a two-metre tall scroll containing a 1929 Politburo report written by Mao Zedong valued at hundreds of millions […]

A public policy scholar has said he does not have “high hopes” for a proposal made by Hong Kong’s next leader to fast-track admission into incomplete public housing estates, as the wait for public housing rose to 6.1 years on average. The latest figures released by the Housing Authority on Thursday revealed that the average […]

A Hong Kong judge has rejected the bail application of a former lawmaker charged along with 46 other pro-democracy figures under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Lam Cheuk-ting, a former Legislative Councillor from the Democratic Party who has been remanded in custody for more than 14 months awaiting trial, appeared in front of Judge Esther […]

China is digging in its heels on a zero-Covid strategy to stamp out clusters as they emerge, hitting hundreds of areas across Beijing with some form of restrictions, including hard lockdowns. Residents rushed to supermarkets on Thursday to stock up on groceries as rumours spread that stay-at-home orders would soon be announced. Dining out has […]

One in six people in Hong Kong have suffered online sexual harassment while one in eight experienced it in the workplace, according to a survey by Hong Kong’s Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). The EOC conducted telephone interviews with 5,027 people aged between 18 and 64 from March to June last year. According to the survey, […]

National security police in Hong Kong who arrested five former trustees of a now-defunct relief fund for detained protesters say they have uncovered “misconduct” by some solicitors and barristers during the course of their probe. Among those arrested was a 90-year-old Catholic cardinal and a former legislator already serving a separate prison sentence. The police […]

Hong Kong health authorities have locked down an entire public housing estate in Kennedy Town after recording a “very high” Covid-19 viral load in sewage samples, indicating a new cluster of cases. The announcement followed an unusual warning from the University of Hong Kong (HKU)’s medical faculty, warning its students and staff to refrain from […]

Beijing has hit back at Western criticism of Hong Kong’s latest arrest of activists, including a 90-year-old Catholic cardinal, accusing them of “smearing” and putting on a “political show.” China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong “expresses strong disapproval and opposition, emphasising that ‘rights and freedoms’ are not a ‘shield’ for illegal activities in Hong Kong,” […]

The Hong Kong Bar Association has condemned a call by seven US Congress members for sanctions on designated national security judges and prosecutors over Beijing’s alleged attempts to crush opposition in the city. The Bar Association expressed “grave concerns” over a letter from the Congress members to President Joe Biden dated May 3, which called […]

Wong Wai-yin, one of the 12 Hongkongers who tried to escape to Taiwan via speedboat in 2020 but was caught by China’s coastguard, was jailed for 20 months after he pleaded guilty to a charge of making explosives. The 30-year-old mechanic appeared before District Court Judge Frankie Yiu on Thursday. He was accused of possessing […]

A Covid-19 cluster at a Yuen Long restaurant has expanded to 23, with three more customers testing positive for the virus. The three – aged 71 to 76 – had developed mild symptoms, said the Centre for Health Protection’s Chuang Shuk-kwan. They had previously dined at Peony Golden Court. Authorities have already tracked down 190 […]

A Tibet Airlines plane caught fire on Thursday at a Chinese airport after veering off the runway, but all passengers and crew were “safely evacuated,” the airline said. The flight, carrying 113 passengers and nine crew, was headed from the southwestern city of Chongqing to Tibet’s Nyingchi when crew noticed “abnormalities” and “suspended take off,” […]

Hong Kong has seen a drop in cases of robbery, criminal damage and serious drug offences in the first quarter of 2022, while homicides, child abuse, deception and blackmail cases rose, the police have said. The latest crime statistics released on Wednesday revealed that a total of 13,866 crimes were recorded between January and April […]

by Matthew Walsh China’s censors scrambled to wipe out online debate over its zero-Covid strategy on Wednesday after the World Health Organisation (WHO) criticised the country’s hardline approach to crushing the virus. China is the last major economy glued to a zero-Covid policy and enforces some of the most stringent virus controls anywhere in the […]

Cardinal Joseph Zen, barrister Margaret Ng, singer-activist Denise Ho, and scholar Hui Po-keung have been released on bail following their arrests by national security police. They stood accused of conspiring to collude with foreign powers in relation to 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which aided protesters during the 2019 anti-extradition unrest, local media reported. Zen was […]

A Covid-19 testing firm in Shanghai is being investigated by city officials after reports that residents were given false-positive results that landed them in harsh state quarantine. The city has been under lockdown for weeks as China enforces a zero-Covid policy through shutdowns, mass testing and tight restrictions on movement — with everyone who tests positive being […]

Hong Kong national security police have arrested prominent barrister Margaret Ng and Cardinal Joseph Zen, HKFP has learned. Singer-activist Denise Ho has also been arrested, local media report. They helped run the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which aided thousands of protesters during the 2019 unrest by providing legal assistance, funds for psychological counselling and medical […]

The government expects research into the planned “fake news” law to be completed by the middle of the year, the legislature has heard. However, security chief Chris Tang has said that existing laws were already capable of regulating the spread of false information related to the Covid-19 pandemic. During a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, […]

The deaths of two Hong Kong firefighters in a storage unit blaze that burned for five days in 2016 have been ruled as a result of misadventure. The Coroner’s Court handed down the verdict on Tuesday following a 65-day death inquest that saw dozens of witnesses take the stand to testify on the Ngau Tau […]

A former member of the group that organised Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen vigils has been sentenced to three months in jail for refusing to comply with a national security data probe. Chan To-wai, a member of the disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, appeared in front of Principal Magistrate […]

A 19-year-old student has been sentenced to a stint at a rehabilitation centre on Tuesday for throwing a bag of items onto a railway, assaulting police and possessing dozens of iron nails during an anti-extradition law protest in November 2019. Lee Chak-fai, who was only 16 at the time of the incident, was found guilty […]

A Hong Kong scholar who helped run a now-disbanded defence fund for democracy protesters was arrested at the airport under the national security law, two legal sources told AFP on Wednesday. Hui Po-keung, a prominent cultural studies scholar, was on his way to take up an academic post in Europe before he was detained on Tuesday, the sources said, asking not to […]

Legal representatives prosecuting the former organiser of Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen vigils have been ordered to disclose some materials relating to the investigation into the group to the defence. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support for Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the disbanded group behind the candlelight vigils, has been accused by national security police […]

Downpours have drenched Hong Kong, with the Hong Kong Observatory forecasting heavier rainfall in the city on Wednesday afternoon. Many regions recorded more than 20 millimetres of rain, with more than 70 millimetres falling in Sai Kung district. A thunderstorm warning has been in place since Tuesday night. Classes at kindergartens and primary and secondary […]

A former member of the group that organised Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen vigils has pleaded guilty to not complying with a national security police data probe. Chan To-wai, an ex-standing committee member of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, appeared in front of hand-picked national security judge Principal Magistrate […]