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By Isabel Kua and Oliver Hotham Authorities evacuated nearly 300,000 people and suspended public transport across eastern China on Friday, as Typhoon Gaemi brought torrential rains already responsible for five deaths in nearby Taiwan. Gaemi was the strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in eight years when it made landfall on Thursday, flooding parts of the island’s […]

New CCTV cameras in Hong Kong will be equipped with facial recognition technology, the city’s security chief has said. In an interview published by iCable on Friday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said the government planned to introduce artificial intelligence to be able to identify faces in the thousands of new CCTV cameras the city […]

Cosplay enthusiasts lined up outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on Friday morning to enter Ani-com & Games Hong Kong 2024 (ACG), the city’s largest event for fans of anime, comics and games. Spanning five days, the annual gathering attracts thousands of visitors, as well as over 140 exhibitors selling […]

Oxfam’s Hong Kong office experienced a cyberattack earlier this month and is investigating whether it resulted in the disclosure of personal data, the NGO has said. The cyberattack happened on the morning of July 10, affecting certain systems including its Oxfam TrailWalker system. Oxfam immediately launched an investigation and engaged experts to conduct an examination […]

Hong Kong authorities have suspended a contractor involved in a fatal industrial accident from bidding for some government contracts, as a worksite safety concern group called on the contractor to offer financial support for the family of the deceased. A 42-year-old construction worker surnamed Poon died on Thursday morning after he was crushed between a […]

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned in Hong Kong on Thursday of Russia using the city to bypass sanctions levied by the West over its invasion of Ukraine. Western countries imposed unprecedented economic penalties on Moscow after the Kremlin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The latest penalties have sought to target entities […]

Hong Kong’s corrections department has condemned an op-ed written by a top legal scholar about a new rule denying early release to national security convicts, calling his comments “misleading.” The Correctional Services Department (CSD) said in a statement on Wednesday that the op-ed by Johannes Chan included “unfounded and misleading remarks” about arrangements for national […]

China’s central bank on Thursday unexpectedly cut a medium-term interest rate by the most in more than four years, marking the latest move by authorities to boost economic growth. The world’s second-largest economy has encountered severe headwinds in recent years, as a heavily indebted property sector, sluggish consumption and high youth unemployment weigh on confidence. […]

Pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai will take the stand in his national security trial in November, a Hong Kong court has heard, after judges denied the Apple Daily founder’s bid to have charges against him dropped. Senior Counsel Robert Pang on Wednesday argued that the prosecution had not presented evidence that Lai intended to continue carrying […]

Two Hongkongers who promoted cryptocurrency investments and sold crypto mining machines are wanted under the International Criminal Police Organization’s (Interpol) “red notice.” According to Interpol’s website, Wong Ching-kit, 30, is wanted on charges of fraud and theft, while Mok Tsun-ting, 26, is wanted over “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable […]

A 36-year-old man has been jailed for a year after he pleaded guilty to illegally importing endangered shark fins valued at around HK$620,000 from Brazil to Hong Kong. Lin Yufeng appeared before Deputy District Judge Veronica Heung for sentencing on Wednesday, after the mainland Chinese national admitted to charges of illegally importing an endangered species. […]

Typhoon Gaemi passed through Taiwan overnight and was headed towards eastern China on Thursday, leaving two dead as heavy rains and strong gusts continued to lash the island in its wake. The day before, the storm had forced Taiwan to cancel some of its annual war games, shutter schools and offices, and evacuate thousands from […]

Four Hong Kong teenagers have been arrested on explosives charges after police found a stash of chemicals that can be used to make bombs and weapons at a school in Kwun Tong. In a press conference on Wednesday, police said the four were form one and two secondary school students aged 13 to 15. One […]

Hong Kong reported a total health expenditure of more than HK$284.1 billion in the 2022-23 financial year, accounting for 10 per cent of the city’s gross domestic product. Hongkongers spent HK$38,670 on average per capita on healthcare in 2022-23, the Health Bureau unveiled on Tuesday in the Domestic Health Accounts (DHA) 2022-23. The government covered […]

Prosecutors in pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s national security trial did not present evidence that he intended to call for sanctions after the national security law was enacted in June 2020, the mogul’s lawyers have argued. Lai’s lawyer, Senior Counsel Robert Pang, on Wednesday presented a “no case to answer” argument, in which the defence […]

Authorities in northern China warned heavy rains could bring floods and landslides Wednesday, issuing the country’s second-highest flood response. China is enduring a summer of extreme weather, with heavy rains across the east and south coming as much of the north has sweltered under successive heatwaves. And after days of scorching temperatures of over 35 […]

A Hong Kong Christian organisation has announced that will disband, citing a “social environment” that had made it harder for it to carry out its mission. The Hong Kong Christian Institute said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that its website and social media pages would cease operating on the last day of July, and […]

Ukraine’s foreign minister said Tuesday it was important for Kyiv and Beijing — a close ally of Moscow — to speak directly about ending the war in Ukraine, during a visit to China. China presents itself as a neutral party in the war and says it is not sending lethal assistance to either side, unlike […]

Two men have been jailed for five years for rioting at a protest sparked by a campus siege at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in 2019. Poon Hiu-tung, 27, and Pun Dhan Bahadur, 39, appeared at District Court on Tuesday to receive their sentences. Their case relates to a protest in Yau Ma Tei […]

Hong Kong police have arrested five men on suspicion of selling fake tickets to Cantopop star Sammi Cheng’s sought-after concerts. Police said on Tuesday that they arrested five mainland Chinese men, aged between 34 and 46, last Friday for allegedly selling counterfeit tickets for Cheng’s concerts, which is running until Sunday at the Hong Kong […]

The first batch of Hong Kong athletes has set off for the upcoming Paris Olympics, with fencer Edgar Cheung and swimmer Siobhan Haughey chosen as the delegation’s flag-bearers at the opening ceremony. Along with the swimming and table tennis athletes, Brian Stevenson, the leader of the delegation, left Hong Kong on Monday ahead of the […]

The US Defense Department warned Monday of increasing Russian-Chinese collaboration in the Arctic, as climate change opens the region to greater competition over maritime routes and resources. “We’ve seen growing cooperation between the PRC and Russia in the Arctic commercially, with the PRC being a major funder of Russian energy exploitation in the Arctic,” Deputy […]

By Stuart Graham Southeast Asian foreign ministers gather in Laos this week for talks on the disputed South China Sea and the conflict in Myanmar, with top diplomats from China and the United States slated to meet on the sidelines. The three-day meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) starts in the […]

Financial institutions HSBC and Manulife have declined to comment on a report that two overseas Hong Kong activists wanted under the security law, former lawmaker Ted Hui among them, were blocked from accessing their pension funds. The Guardian reported on Monday that Hui and an unnamed activist have not been able to withdraw funds from […]

A tender for real estate developers to build subsidised homes has received just one bid under a pilot scheme that will see the government partnering with the private sector to alleviate Hong Kong’s housing shortage. Chairperson of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors Francis Lam said on Monday that developers faced substantial risk as flats […]

A century-old Hong Kong fermented tofu brand has admitted that its bean curd was not made locally but came from mainland China after failed food safety checks thrust the company into the spotlight. Jay Liu, the fourth-generation owner of Liu Ma Kee, said on a radio show on Monday that the raw materials were from […]

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will visit China on Tuesday for talks on ending Russia’s invasion, now in its third year, his ministry announced. China has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion and last year released a paper calling for a “political settlement” to the conflict, which Western countries said could enable Russia to retain much […]

Hong Kong should take “credible steps” to maintain its economic uniqueness and rule of law after focusing on security over the past four years, the European Union’s outgoing envoy has said. Thomas Gnocchi, head of the European Union office to Hong Kong and Macau, was posted to Hong Kong in September 2020. At the time, […]

Two checkpoints on Hong Kong’s border with Shenzhen will adopt a new immigration clearance mode after their redevelopment is completed, Hong Kong’s security chief Chris Tang has said. Speaking on Metro Broadcast on Sunday, Tang said that the boundary control points at Huanggang and Sha Tau Kok, which are currently under redevelopment, will implement “joint […]

A policy goal to increase the ratio of public housing in Hong Kong could be adjusted downwards once the average waiting time for a public rental flat has fallen, the city’s development minister has said. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn told TVB on Sunday that the authorities decided to aim for a 70:30 split between […]

A Hong Kong court has sentenced three people to up to six years and eight months in jail for manipulating shares of Ching Lee Holdings after a landmark trial. The High Court on Monday jailed Sit Yi-ki and Tam Cheuk-hang for six years eight months for conspiring to carry out false trading under the city’s […]

Hong Kong is seeking to outlaw whale-watching activities to prevent harm to the marine mammals, the government has said after issuing a report on the cause of death of a Bryde’s whale that appeared in local waters last July. The government will consult with marine life experts this year on specific proposals for legislative amendments […]

By Peter Catterall China’s central bank on Monday cut two benchmark interest rates in a bid to boost lending and kickstart growth in the world’s second-largest economy. Beijing is battling an unprecedented crisis in the country’s vast real estate sector, continued weak consumption and a high youth unemployment rate, while geopolitical tensions with Washington and […]

A Hong Kong man has been found guilty of insulting the Chinese national anthem at an international volleyball game last year. Chan Pak-yui appeared at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on Friday to receive his verdict after standing trial in April. He was accused of publicly and intentionally insulting the national anthem at the Hong Kong […]

An exhibitor at the 2024 Hong Kong Book Fair has been advised to pull five titles from its shelves due to complaints and “sensitive” content. Independent local publisher Bbluesky was informed that the books should be removed on Saturday at around 5.30 pm, the publisher’s Leslie Ng told reporters at the fair on Saturday evening. […]

By Pam Castro The Philippines and China have agreed on an “arrangement” for resupplying Filipino troops stationed on a South China Sea reef, Manila said Sunday, after a series of escalating confrontations in the disputed waters. A remote outpost on Second Thomas Shoal has been a focus of clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships in […]

Standing outside Hong Kong’s government headquarters on a May morning, social work veteran Eddie Tse cut a lonely figure.  Joined by just one other supporter, a retired social worker who declined to give his full name, Tse was there to protest government plans to overhaul the body responsible for registering social workers. He called the […]

By Xinqi Su Hong Kong microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung has done battle with some of the world’s worst threats, including the SARS virus he helped isolate and identify. And he has a warning. Another pandemic is inevitable and could exact damage far worse than Covid-19, according to the soft-spoken scientist sometimes thought of as Hong Kong’s […]

By Sébastien Ricci A bridge collapse caused by torrential rains in northern China killed 11 people and left more than 30 missing, state media said Saturday. Large parts of northern and central China have been battered in recent days by rains that have caused flooding and significant damage. The bridge in the northwestern Shaanxi province […]

Let us now praise New People’s Party legislator Judy Chan for what appears to be an effort to make sense of the government’s policy on food served in the street or, as the official phraseology has it, “fixed-pitch and itinerant hawker stalls selling food with local characteristics.” In this laudable pursuit, Chan put down a […]

The day before former district councillor Leticia Wong’s alternative book fair was supposed to open, she received a visit from the city’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD). “I can’t confidently say that this event will make it all the way to this Sunday,” she told HKFP in Cantonese on Thursday, the opening day of […]

By Jing Xuan Teng Braving loneliness, tough auditions and an unfamiliarly hot and humid climate, aspiring actor Guo Ting is determined to make it in China’s answer to Hollywood. The 27-year-old from northern China quit her white-collar job in Beijing this year to move to subtropical Hengdian, home to major movie studios and casting agencies. […]

The organiser of the 2024 Hong Kong Book Fair has informed at least two exhibitors not to sell certain book titles at the fair, citing “complaints.” Leanne Liu of Boundary Bookstore told HKFP that they were informed on Thursday and Friday by staff at the organising Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), that three titles […]

A Hong Kong court has ordered detained activist Chow Hang-tung to cover the government’s legal costs totalling HK$100,000 in a case over whether she could be considered a “party” in the authorities’ then-ongoing legal proceedings to ban pro-democracy song Glory to Hong Kong.  Chow’s application for leave to appeal was denied at the High Court’s […]

The staff union of The Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) parent company has urged management to reinstate Selina Cheng, a reporter who was fired weeks after she was elected chair of the city’s embattled Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA). In a statement issued on Thursday, the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees said that the American paper’s […]

Hong Kong’s airport has been impacted by a major global Microsoft outage, with affected airlines forced to check passengers in manually. “A Microsoft outage that has disrupted the service of airlines worldwide is affecting some of the airlines at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA),” an Airport Authority Hong Kong spokesperson told HKFP on Friday afternoon, […]

Taiwan’s foreign minister said Friday the self-ruled island must rely on itself for defence after US presidential candidate Donald Trump insisted Taipei “should pay” Washington for defence in the event of a conflict with neighbouring China. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has in recent years stepped up its military presence and […]

Twelve people have been jailed for up to three years and four months after they pleaded guilty to rioting in connection with the police siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in November 2019.  Deputy District Judge Peony Wong on Friday meted out prison terms to 12 defendants aged between 22 and 32, who […]

The Hong Kong government has hit back after US lawmakers called for sanctions to be placed on the city’s top officials, saying it would not be “intimidated by such a despicable behaviour.” In a lengthy statement on Thursday night, a government spokesperson said a letter sent by US lawmakers urging Washington to place sanctions on […]

Beijing’s leaders vowed Thursday to resolve “risks” plaguing China’s economy, but were yet to offer any concrete steps to pull the country out of its financial woes. The world’s second-largest economy is grappling with a property debt crisis, weakening consumption, and an ageing population. All eyes were on how this week’s Third Plenum meeting of […]