https://www.scmp.com/rss/315388/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com More than six in 10 employees in Hong Kong are unhappy at work and almost half said they intended to change jobs in the next 12 months, according to a survey carried out by a job-seeking website. JobsDB.com polled about 2,400 Hong Kong workers online between May and June this year and found salary (54 per cent) was the secondary factor to happiness in the workplace, behind relationships with colleagues and bosses (63 per cent). But when it came to changing jobs, four out of ten said money was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1854238/six-10-hongkongers-unhappy-their-jobs-and-half-intend-moving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1854238/six-10-hongkongers-unhappy-their-jobs-and-half-intend-moving?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Aug 2015 23:00:15 +0000 One of the city's largest non-governmental organisations looking after intellectually disabled people has been accused of abusing at least two female members at one of its centres earlier this year. The accusations came to light after the Chinese-language Apple Daily uploaded CCTV footage yesterday showing a male employee at the Diamond Hill centre of Hong Chi Association yanking a woman's shirt collar with his right hand. He then pushed her into a cabinet. The association later confirmed that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1854273/caught-camera-employees-accused-abusing-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1854273/caught-camera-employees-accused-abusing-people?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Aug 2015 23:00:00 +0000 A plague of phone scams that has dogged Hong Kong will continue despite a fall in the number of cases reported to police this month, the security minister warned yesterday. Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok said the downward trend appeared to be a result of collaboration between local police and their mainland counterparts and a publicity drive that has helped people recognise attempts to cheat them. The scam typically sees fraudsters, speaking Cantonese or Putonghua, tell victims they have... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/1853977/hong-kong-security-chief-says-phone-scams-are-here-stay-warning-against-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/1853977/hong-kong-security-chief-says-phone-scams-are-here-stay-warning-against-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2015 16:00:30 +0000 To a retired town planner, it seemed a perfectly reasonable question: Why not take trams off the roads in Central to reduce traffic congestion? Sit Kwok-keung says he was unhappy at the storm of criticism his application to the Town Planning Board to do just that provoked, but he quickly got over it as he knew such a reaction was inevitable. Conservation, environmental and urban planning groups have been up in arms, voicing their opposition to any suggestion that the iconic 110-year-old trams... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1853941/retired-planning-maverick-whos-mission-god-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1853941/retired-planning-maverick-whos-mission-god-take?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2015 16:00:30 +0000 About 60 demonstrators marched to the Japanese consulate in Central from Chater Garden this morning to mark the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender at the end of the second world war, as celebrations took place in other parts of the city. The demonstrators, including ex-servicemen, observed a minute’s silence before the march to pay their respects to those who died in the conflict. Chanting slogans and waving Republic of China flags, they demanded the Japanese government admit and apologise... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1853817/hong-kong-demonstrators-march-japanese-consulate-protest-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1853817/hong-kong-demonstrators-march-japanese-consulate-protest-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2015 08:15:00 +0000 Some 20 Indonesians fell ill under yesterday's scorching sun while celebrating their national day in Victoria Park, as the effects of Typhoon Goni sent Hong Kong temperatures soaring. Nine people required hospital treatment after experiencing headaches and other heatstroke symptoms on a day when the Observatory's hot weather warning was in place from early morning and temperatures pushed record levels recorded on August 8. In urban areas, the Observatory recorded temperatures over 34 degrees... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1851846/heatstroke-hits-indonesia-independence-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1851846/heatstroke-hits-indonesia-independence-day?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2015 10:45:45 +0000 Environmental and urban planning groups are joining hands to press the idea of kicking cars off a key road in Central to reserve it for pedestrians and trams. The initiative, by green group the Clean Air Network and planning body Designing Hong Kong, serves as a riposte to a proposal by a retired town planner to rip up tram tacks in Central and Admiralty to provide more space for cars and buses. They suggest making Des Voeux Road Central between Western Market in Sheung Wan and Pedder Street a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1851829/save-tram-hong-kong-environment-and-planning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1851829/save-tram-hong-kong-environment-and-planning?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2015 06:30:30 +0000 Hong Kong's economy fared better in the second quarter of this year, with growth at a stronger-than-expected 2.8 per cent, prompting the government to lift its target for full-year growth. The economy grew faster between April and June, which the government attributed to buoyant demand within the city. This is despite the fact that the economic environment outside Hong Kong was relatively hostile, it added. For the full year, the government expected growth to range from two to three per cent -... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1849719/hong-kong-economy-records-surprise-28-cent-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1849719/hong-kong-economy-records-surprise-28-cent-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2015 18:45:30 +0000 Cost overruns have hit two more railway projects, landing the MTR Corporation with a bill for an extra HK$3 billion. As he announced the railway operator's interim results, CEO Lincoln Leong Kwok-kuen revealed the final bill for the 7km South Island Line would be HK$16.9 billion, an increase of HK$1.7 billion on the previous estimate. The 2.6km Kwun Tong Line extension will cost HK$7.2 billion, 22 per cent more than previously estimated. The news is another blow to the MTR, which has been hit... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1849360/mtr-corporation-faces-hk3-billion-bill-more-railway-projects-go-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1849360/mtr-corporation-faces-hk3-billion-bill-more-railway-projects-go-over?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2015 15:00:00 +0000 Two more Uber drivers were arrested yesterday, just hours after Hong Kong's police chief warned of a further crackdown on the car-hailing service, following the arrests of five drivers and three company staff on Tuesday. As the battle for control of the city's roads plays out, it emerged the police joined a meeting during which there were calls for the arrest of unlicensed drivers. Pro-taxi lawmakers, taxi lobby representatives and Transport Department officials were also present. Police had... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1849102/two-more-uber-drivers-arrested-hong-kong-local-taxi-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1849102/two-more-uber-drivers-arrested-hong-kong-local-taxi-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2015 19:30:00 +0000 Australia’s dollar is coasting downward as China devalues the yuan, a situation Canberra hopes can translate into more of dollars coming in from Hong Kong – half a billion of them a year, to be exact. Even though fewer people visit the country from Hong Kong than from most of its neighbours, Andrew Hogg, the new general manager of Tourism Australia who oversees the Greater China region, expressed optimism that the weaker currency would bring more of them south. Some 202,000 Hongkongers visited... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1848935/australia-sees-declining-dollar-draw-hong-kong-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1848935/australia-sees-declining-dollar-draw-hong-kong-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2015 08:30:15 +0000 Police raided the Hong Kong office of online car-hire giant Uber and arrested five drivers on Tuesday in a crackdown on unlicensed transport services. The operation, codenamed Cellbreaker, comes amid increased pressure from the powerful taxi lobby, which has criticised the government for failing to curb cab-hailing apps. It is the latest in a series of conflicts internationally between fast-growing Uber and taxi drivers and cab owners fearful they will lose their business. Undercover officers on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1848726/five-uber-drivers-arrested-hong-kong-sting-unlicensed-car?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1848726/five-uber-drivers-arrested-hong-kong-sting-unlicensed-car?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Aug 2015 14:30:30 +0000 Health authorities said yesterday they believe sandwiches from the popular Taiwanese brand Horng Ryen Jen that made 88 Hongkongers sick were contaminated before they were imported to the city. The 33 men and 55 women, including a 79-year-old and a child aged one, developed food poisoning symptoms after eating the products late last month. They had been bought from a number of outlets across Hong Kong including City’super in Harbour City, a restaurant in Yuen Long and an exhibition booth in Lok... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1848322/taiwanese-horng-ryen-jen-sandwiches-were?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1848322/taiwanese-horng-ryen-jen-sandwiches-were?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2015 23:00:40 +0000 The sudden and apparently surreptitious felling of four century-old Chinese banyan trees in Sai Ying Pun on Friday night has triggered calls for the government to explain its actions. One tree expert on a government's advisory panel questioned if the decision was "scientific", in the wake of the collapse of another Chinese banyan at the same site about three weeks ago during one of the city's worst storms, injuring two people. The unannounced demise of the four trees, which were growing out of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1848030/calls-hong-kong-government-explain-felling-century?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1848030/calls-hong-kong-government-explain-felling-century?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Aug 2015 16:00:00 +0000 Four water samples taken from flats in phases one and two of Wah Fu Estate in Pok Fu Lam contained the heavy metal nickel, a skin irritant, at well above the World Health Organisation standard, the Democratic Party said yesterday. Although the 20 samples taken were all clear of lead and cadmium, the heavy metals found in water samples from several local estates, the party said four had a nickel content above the WHO guidelines of 70 micrograms per litre of water. In the worst case, it was more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1847278/after-lead-and-cadmium-scares-political-activists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1847278/after-lead-and-cadmium-scares-political-activists?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2015 23:00:00 +0000 Thirteen more Hong Kong people have fallen ill  after eating sandwiches from popular Taiwanese brand Horng Ryen Jen, health authorities said last night. The Centre for Health Protection said the five men and eight women, aged 14 to 53, developed symptoms of food poisong between three and 61 hours after consuming the products at the end of last month. Nine of them had sought medical treatment.  One had been admitted to and discharged from hospital, it added. The sandwiches were purchased from a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1846938/hong-kong-reports-more-food-poisoning-cases-linked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1846938/hong-kong-reports-more-food-poisoning-cases-linked?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Aug 2015 23:00:00 +0000 Hongkongers have become “significantly” less positive about society according to a University of Hong Kong survey, which found indicators measuring degree of freedom, prosperity and compliance with rule of law had dropped to their lowest in over 10 years. The Public Opinion Programme, which polled 1,010 people at random by telephone between July 20 and 23, found that the rating of four out of five core social indicators had all slumped. The degree of freedom had dipped the most since the last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1846641/significantly-less-positive-hongkongers-most?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1846641/significantly-less-positive-hongkongers-most?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Aug 2015 23:00:30 +0000 University of Hong Kong council member Arthur Li Kwok-cheung has claimed he was assaulted when a group of students stormed a meeting of the HKU governing body last week. Li told TVB's Straight Talk programme last night: "I was punched when I was trying to get out. There was a lot of shoving and pushing, but they stopped us leaving. So, in the end, I had to sit down [and] do what they say." Asked why he did not make a big deal of the attack then, he said he did "not want to be seen to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/1846562/university-hong-kong-council-member-arthur-li-claims-he-was-punched-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/1846562/university-hong-kong-council-member-arthur-li-claims-he-was-punched-students?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Aug 2015 16:00:45 +0000 Two more women have fallen prey to a telephone scam in which fraudsters posing as mainland officials ask victims to transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars after claiming they have had parcels seized. Hong Kong police said a woman, 35, transferred HK$200,000 to a mainland bank account last week after a bogus official asked her to send some money to help with the “investigation” of a seized parcel sent by her. She contacted police after discussing the case with members of her family. Another... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1846271/two-more-hong-kong-residents-caught-out-conmen-posing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1846271/two-more-hong-kong-residents-caught-out-conmen-posing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Aug 2015 23:00:38 +0000 Health authorities are buying more blood-testing devices to offer more tests and speed up the process, with more public housing residents affected by potentially lead-tainted water expected to undergo examination. That was revealed by the health minister Dr Ko Wing-man yesterday as around 100 children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers continued taken to have the lead level at their blood checked in Princess Margaret Hospital, Kwai Chung. Ko said nearly 2,000 residents from three public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1845952/hong-kong-buying-new-blood-test-devices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1845952/hong-kong-buying-new-blood-test-devices?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:45:30 +0000 About 200 protesters brandishing bras rather than placards rallied outside the police headquarters in Wan Chai yesterday against the conviction of a woman jailed last week for three months and 15 days for assaulting an officer with her breast. Activists fear the controversial conviction and sentence will deter women from joining future social movements. Ng Lai-ying, 30, was arrested during a protest against cross-border parallel traders in Yuen Long on March 1. She and three other defendants... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1845867/hong-kong-protesters-shout-breast-not-weapon-they-gather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1845867/hong-kong-protesters-shout-breast-not-weapon-they-gather?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Aug 2015 08:30:45 +0000 The competition between political parties rushing to test for tainted tap water descended into another fight yesterday in the run-up to the district council elections in November. A Tai Po district councillor from the government-friendly Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong disputed the rival Democratic Party's finding that there were excessive levels of heavy metal nickel in Kwong Fuk Estate. As well as being a skin-irritant, nickel is known to cause cancer. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1845273/hong-kongs-metal-contamination-scare-turns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1845273/hong-kongs-metal-contamination-scare-turns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jul 2015 18:57:19 +0000 Garage owners fear an "ambiguous" government letter telling them they cannot operate under residential buildings will force them to close - and charge bigger repair bills for motorists. The letter - issued by three departments last week - was issued in light of an explosion in a Wong Tai Sin garage in April that killed three people. It says no domestic building shall be used as a motor repair shop or for painting. An unauthorised garage that fixed taxis using liquefied petroleum gas was ripped... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1845275/hong-kongs-garage-owners-fear-safety-crackdown-after-fatal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1845275/hong-kongs-garage-owners-fear-safety-crackdown-after-fatal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jul 2015 18:57:19 +0000 A Cathay Pacific relief flight flew to Alaska to pick up 276 passengers and 18 crew members and continue their journey to Los Angeles after their original airliner was forced to make an emergency landing. The airline said the “precautionary diversion” was made after smoke was detected on flight CX884, which departed from Hong Kong at 12.55pm yesterday and touched down at the Eareckson Air Station on the Shemya US military base on the Aleutian Islands at about 9.30pm last night (Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/1844963/cathay-pacific-picks-passengers-stranded-alaska?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/1844963/cathay-pacific-picks-passengers-stranded-alaska?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jul 2015 15:30:00 +0000 The real estate agents' watchdog will step up the monitoring of agents' practices as more first-hand residential flats are rolled out later this year. The Estate Agents Authority reported yesterday it had received 135 complaints against agents in the first half of the year, a decline of 27 per cent over the same period last year. It attributed the drop to the "concerted" efforts it and the trade had made. Complaints centred on the failure to conduct a land search or provide a copy of a search... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1844300/authority-step-monitoring-estate-agents-more-flats-are-rolled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1844300/authority-step-monitoring-estate-agents-more-flats-are-rolled?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2015 09:00:00 +0000 Despite a drop in the number of kindergarten pupils with tooth decay, the prevalence rate in Hong Kong remains higher than in Japan, Britain and the US. The University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Dentistry found that two out of five children, or 37 per cent of the 23,000 pupils it examined in the last academic year, had dental cavities. On average they had 1.5 decayed teeth - just 0.1 tooth less than two years ago - according to the studies, which covered 125 kindergartens under its outreach... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1843832/37-cent-hong-kong-kindergarten-pupils-have-rotten?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1843832/37-cent-hong-kong-kindergarten-pupils-have-rotten?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2015 19:48:41 +0000 Close to 40 per cent of people polled in a survey said the government should give priority to protecting relics unearthed along the delayed Sha Tin to Central MTR link, but just under this number said they would not accept further delays to the project due to conservation. A Kowloon City concern group questioned 152 people from a street booth in June. It found that 39 per cent of respondents agreed the relics unearthed so far were worth being given priority for protection. Only 24 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1843835/kowloon-city-residents-hong-kong-say-yes-relic-protection-no-mtr?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1843835/kowloon-city-residents-hong-kong-say-yes-relic-protection-no-mtr?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2015 19:45:45 +0000 Lantau residents fear their environment will be ruined by Transport Department proposals to allow more vehicles to enter the restricted and ecologically sensitive southern part of the island. They criticised the department, which wants to promote tourism and the economy, for failing to conduct a public consultation. Officials want 50 tour buses a day to be allowed to use the restricted roads, up from 30 now, and 50 private cars on weekdays, except public holidays, after Chief Executive Leung... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1843853/lantau-residents-hong-kong-fear-plans-increase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1843853/lantau-residents-hong-kong-fear-plans-increase?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2015 19:45:45 +0000 Blood samples of 40 residents, including an infant, from two public housing estates that were hit by the tainted water scare were found to contain "slightly higher than normal" amounts of lead, the government announced yesterday. Health minister Dr Ko Wing-man conceded the excessive lead found in their bodies was probably related to the water in question as more than 13 per cent of the 302 people tested had been affected - instead of 2 to 3 per cent, which is the normal range for the population... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1842675/forty-hong-kong-estate-residents-record-higher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1842675/forty-hong-kong-estate-residents-record-higher?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jul 2015 15:45:30 +0000 Local travel agencies are preparing cut-price deals for when tours resume to South Korea, which has been hit by Middle East respiratory syndrome. Joseph Tung Yao-chung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, said many outbound operators were getting ready to resume tours to South Korea after they were cancelled last month. The decision was made in response to the government's red travel warning following the Mers outbreak in the country. The outbound travel alert is expected to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1840973/hong-kong-travel-agencies-set-offer-cut-price?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1840973/hong-kong-travel-agencies-set-offer-cut-price?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2015 19:45:06 +0000 A proposed pilot scheme to reduce fares on cross-harbour buses after they have passed through tunnels is difficult to implement because it may give rise to bad air quality and other problems, lawmakers have heard. Transport officials say they are unsure whether the scheme, to be introduced within a year in response to legislative calls, will be successful. The proposal aims to narrow the difference in fares between cross-harbour buses and buses that follow part of the same route but do not pass... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1840786/transport-officials-tepid-proposed-new-pricing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1840786/transport-officials-tepid-proposed-new-pricing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2015 05:30:45 +0000 The Development Bureau was accused yesterday of imposing unreasonable restrictions on plans to redevelop old housing that was built for civil servants. A pilot scheme to upgrade estates built under the Civil Servants Cooperative Building Society Scheme was unveiled by the government in May as a way of increasing the supply of flats. The bureau estimated 85 sites in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City and Shau Kei Wan had potential, and the floor area could be at least doubled, to possibly produce more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1840184/hong-kong-cooperative-homeowners-arms-over-terms-set?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1840184/hong-kong-cooperative-homeowners-arms-over-terms-set?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jul 2015 08:00:30 +0000 The contract to build the delayed and over-budget high-speed rail link between Hong Kong and Guangzhou does not impose an absolute obligation to finish the project by its original target date of next month, the head of the MTR Corporation said yesterday. MTR Corp chief executive Lincoln Leong Kwok-kuen was testifying before a Legislative Council select committee investigating the delay when he was criticised by lawmakers for trying to shift responsibility away from the railway firm. It was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1839343/mtr-chief-defends-management-delayed-hong-kong-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1839343/mtr-chief-defends-management-delayed-hong-kong-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jul 2015 06:00:30 +0000 The cost of the cross-border high-speed rail project - which has ballooned to HK$85.3 billion - could have gone much higher if a former senior executive of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation had not persuaded contractors to drop prices, New People's Party legislator Michael Tien Puk-sun said. The revelation comes as a Legislative Council select committee prepares to grill MTR Corporation chief executive Lincoln Leong Kwok-kuen today over the further delay in the over-budget rail link to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1839148/mediation-former-rail-chief-saved-hk853b-cost-hong-kong-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1839148/mediation-former-rail-chief-saved-hk853b-cost-hong-kong-high?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jul 2015 19:14:27 +0000 The water scare at a Kowloon City public housing estate deepened yesterday after officials said apart from the excessive lead discovered in tap water, legionella bacteria were also traced at several locations in one of the six blocks. But a health official said it was premature to conclude that the two incidents were connected, and the Housing Department would be disinfecting all blocks in Kai Ching Estate to put residents' minds at ease. READ MORE: Lead in pipes and banned material ‘probably to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1838556/first-it-was-lead-now-legionella-bacteria-found?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1838556/first-it-was-lead-now-legionella-bacteria-found?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2015 15:30:00 +0000 A plumber at the centre of a lead-contaminated water scare at a Hong Kong public housing estate where pre-cast units imported from mainland China were installed today said he could not be held responsible for material made outside the city’s borders. Being pushed in a wheelchair, Lam Tak-sum, the licensed plumber the government says is answerable for the scare at the two-year-old Kai Ching Estate in Kowloon City, met officials from departments including Water Supplies at Immigration Tower in Wan... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1838302/im-not-responsible-mainland-china-made-material?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1838302/im-not-responsible-mainland-china-made-material?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2015 02:45:45 +0000 One of the city's oldest newspapers, the Hong Kong Daily News, has thrown in the towel after publishing for 56 years, finally succumbing to years of financial losses. The Chinese-language newspaper, wholly owned by the Emperor Group, put out its final edition yesterday. It blamed, among other things, the rise of free newspapers for its failure. "Circulations of traditional newspapers have been plummeting ever since the advent of free newspapers," the newspaper said in a surprise... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1837321/daily-news-folds-after-56-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1837321/daily-news-folds-after-56-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jul 2015 22:00:00 +0000 The South Korean government has raised eyebrows by issuing a flu warning to its citizens travelling to Hong Kong as a major Seoul newspaper claimed the situation here was worse than the deadly Mers outbreak. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday issued a blue warning – the lowest on a scale of four – over the influenza outbreak in Hong Kong. “Koreans who plan to visit Hong Kong or reside there are advised to maintain hygiene and take extra care to stay healthy,” the ministry was quoted... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1836669/hong-kongs-health-authorities-play-down-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1836669/hong-kongs-health-authorities-play-down-south?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jul 2015 21:15:15 +0000 Chinese University said last night it was postponing a controversial plan to allow outstanding secondary school performers to skip the first year of medical school. The decision came after the secretary for education had expressed his reservations hours earlier about the proposal to let pupils who score 44 points out of 49 in the Diploma of Secondary Education go straight into year two from September. A spokesman said it made the decision because the city's Medical Council might not have reached... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1836681/chinese-university-postpones-fast-track-plan-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1836681/chinese-university-postpones-fast-track-plan-top?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jul 2015 21:12:12 +0000 Major Hong Kong tour firm’s business cut 4pc due to South Korea Mers outbreak The outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome in South Korea has prompted Wing On Travel – one of Hong Kong’s largest tour operators – to slash its forecast for business growth by up to 4 percentage points. Simon Ma Sai-man, deputy general manager in charge of Asia and long-haul travel, said the company had originally estimated there would be a 10 per cent rise in the number of people signing up for its package... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1834342/major-hong-kong-tour-firms-business-cut-4pc-due-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1834342/major-hong-kong-tour-firms-business-cut-4pc-due-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jul 2015 02:45:45 +0000 Former commerce secretary Frederick Ma Si-hang is to replace Raymond Chien Kuo-fung as chairman of the MTR Corporation for a three-year term starting on New Year's Day, the government announced yesterday. His appointment comes at a time when the administration is locked in a dispute with the MTR Corp over how much it can claim against the rail company for its responsibility over the delayed and overbudget high-speed railway link to Guangzhou. Ma, who joined the company as an independent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1834393/frederick-ma-tapped-next-chairman-hong-kongs-mtr-corp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1834393/frederick-ma-tapped-next-chairman-hong-kongs-mtr-corp?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jul 2015 19:30:15 +0000 Despite the recent drop in mainland travellers to Hong Kong, the granddaughter of property tycoon Lee Shau-kee is upbeat about Henderson Land's shopping mall business in the New Territories. Kristine Li Keng-yan, assistant general manager of the portfolio leasing department, said the number of customers jumped 40 per cent year-on-year after the Kolour shopping centre in Yuen Long was renovated. The revamp was the first project she took charge of after joining the property empire two and a half... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1833928/hong-kong-tycoons-first-grandchild-keeps-malls-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1833928/hong-kong-tycoons-first-grandchild-keeps-malls-track?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jul 2015 19:00:30 +0000 Hong Kong should host more "mega events" like the three-day Dragon Boat Carnival to bring tourists to the city amid stiff regional competition, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung said yesterday. Although the event attracted 40,000 tourists, So revealed the fall in the number of mainlanders under the individual visit scheme had widened since April, when mainland authorities limited Shenzhen residents to one cross-border trip a week. Speaking on the sidelines of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1833186/dragon-boats-top-draw-visitor-numbers-down-says-greg-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1833186/dragon-boats-top-draw-visitor-numbers-down-says-greg-so?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jul 2015 21:00:45 +0000 A Dutch company says it has invented an insect repellent using nanotechnology which can keep clothes and homes mosquito-free for up to three months. Mosquitno has been invited by a government body to begin trading in Hong Kong as the number of cases reported in the city of the deadly mosquito-borne dengue fever rises. The new repellent does not include the active ingredient used in many insect repellents, DEET, which has question marks surrounding its safety. Figures from the Department of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1833177/dutch-insect-repellent-innovator-mosquitno-targets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1833177/dutch-insect-repellent-innovator-mosquitno-targets?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jul 2015 21:00:30 +0000 Around 50 people from various civic and political groups protest outside the Singapore consulate in Admiralty, demanding the release of teen blogger Amos Yee, who was convicted of posting a video attacking the late founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. Their campaign came a day before 16-year-old Yee, who has been remanded in a mental health institution, is set to make another court appearance. Holding banners and placards with slogans including "Dissident is not demented" and "Freedom of speech should... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1833136/hong-kong-protesters-call-release-convicted-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1833136/hong-kong-protesters-call-release-convicted-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jul 2015 20:57:32 +0000 An unconventional tug-of-war competition on the water featured on the last day of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival today on the Tsim Sha Tsui side of Victoria Harbour. The three-day festivities saw more than 4,000 paddlers from 14 countries or regions compete in 23 different races. On a sweltering day that prompted Hong Kong weather officials to issue a “very hot” weather warning, six teams tested their mettle in the tug-of-war competition. Rival teams, each with eight paddlers, had to sit in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1832783/tug-war-fancy-dress-contest-mark-splashy-end-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1832783/tug-war-fancy-dress-contest-mark-splashy-end-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jul 2015 10:50:55 +0000 Some 50 people from different civic and political groups have protested outside the commercial building in Admiralty where the Singapore Consulate is located, demanding the immediate release of teen blogger Amos Yee, who had been convicted on charges related to posting a video attacking the late prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. Their campaign came a day ahead of the expected sentencing of Yee, 16, who is now remanded in a mental health institution after his conviction. Holding banners and placards... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1832719/admiralty-protesters-demand-release-singaporean-teen-amos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1832719/admiralty-protesters-demand-release-singaporean-teen-amos?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jul 2015 06:00:00 +0000 The government has disagreed that HK$4.59 billion is the maximum it can claim against the MTR Corporation for responsibility over the delayed and over-budget cross-border high-speed rail link to Guangzhou. Transport chief Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said officials also had reservations about including HK$2.1 billion and a six-month period as contingency in the latest cost and completion estimates. Cheung was speaking at a meeting of the Legislative Council's railway subcommittee after the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1831938/hong-kong-government-not-limited-hk45b-claim-against-mtr-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1831938/hong-kong-government-not-limited-hk45b-claim-against-mtr-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2015 05:30:30 +0000 Tolls for cars using Tate's Cairn Tunnel will rise 18 per cent from New Year's Day - taking them to more than twice the level of two other tunnels linking Kowloon and Sha Tin. The Executive Council last month approved a request by Tate's Cairn Tunnel Company to push the fee for private cars and taxis up HK$3 to HK$20. For motorcycles, the toll will go up HK$2 to HK$15, while for double-decker buses it will be HK$35, up HK$1. Minibus and truck tolls remain unchanged at between HK$23 and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1831680/private-car-toll-fees-increase-18pc-hong-kongs-tates-cairn-tunnel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1831680/private-car-toll-fees-increase-18pc-hong-kongs-tates-cairn-tunnel?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2015 09:15:45 +0000 The government is heading for a major showdown with the MTR Corporation over the delayed high-speed railway link to Guangzhou after the latest estimate released yesterday showed the cost of the project had ballooned to HK$85.3 billion. The embattled operator blamed new challenges, such as the extra time it needs to build the "complex" West Kowloon Terminus entrance building, for having to push back the opening by another year to the third quarter of 2018. Transport minister Professor Anthony... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1829495/mtr-under-pressure-cost-guangzhou-rail-link-soars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1829495/mtr-under-pressure-cost-guangzhou-rail-link-soars?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jun 2015 10:00:00 +0000