https://www.scmp.com/rss/321979/feed Su Xinqi covered Hong Kong-mainland relational issues for the Post's Hong Kong desk until 2019. She has previously worked for Reuters and Initium Media in a variety of roles including researcher, content producer, and news editor. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com An unhealthy cloud of air pollution is set to choke Hong Kong over the weekend, the city’s environment watchdog warned on Thursday. The Environmental Protection Department said in a statement on Thursday it had “recorded a gradual increase in pollution levels since this morning”. “It is expected that the Air Quality Health Index at some general and roadside air quality monitoring stations may reach the ‘serious’ level later today,” it added. “Serious” is the top level of air pollution on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3028058/weekend-smog-set-hit-hong-kong-environmental?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3028058/weekend-smog-set-hit-hong-kong-environmental?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Sep 2019 06:21:30 +0000 The Hong Kong government should fork out HK$1.8 billion (US$230.1 million) a year to support the city’s youth in buying their first homes on the private market, a pro-establishment public housing concern alliance suggested on Wednesday. The recommendation is one of 13 initiatives rolled out by the Federation of Public Housing Estates in light of a year-long study, which aims to enhance housing supply for people aged 18 to 35 in Hong Kong. The federation said in its statement that one source of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3027916/public-housing-group-calls-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3027916/public-housing-group-calls-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2019 10:05:08 +0000 Deep-fried vegetable chips could be more unhealthy than potato chips as they contained twice the amount of a carcinogen found in overcooked food, the Hong Kong consumer rights watchdog said on Monday. The Consumer Council cited results from 27 samples surveyed by consumer rights groups in 10 European countries, noting that while only some products were available locally and might have different recipes, the study was “helpful” to gain more insight into acrylamide. “Categorically, the research... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3027522/deep-fried-vegetable-chips-could-contain-twice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3027522/deep-fried-vegetable-chips-could-contain-twice?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2019 13:02:43 +0000 Hong Kong’s consumer rights watchdog has said supermarkets in the city are still using misleading sales tactics, and risk breaking the law over their price comparison stickers. On Monday, the Consumer Council said the city’s major retailers had misled the public, and said law enforcement, and the industry, had failed to deal with the problem for the past five years. In two recent surveys, supermarkets were found to have displayed two prices on a variety of products, the standard price, which was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3027441/supermarket-deal-might-not-be-bargain-you-thought?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3027441/supermarket-deal-might-not-be-bargain-you-thought?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2019 08:06:28 +0000 Wong Yuet-han is ready to guard her new trolley with her life, and swears she will fight off any public hygiene inspector who tries to take it from her. The 67-year-old is part of Hong Kong’s army of elderly people, mostly old women, who eke out a living by gathering cardboard scraps and polyfoam boxes to sell to recycling companies. Her treasured trolley is an upgraded version of the common blue metal ones used by most “cardboard grannies” to move loads of up to 70kg each day. It is a prototype... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3027319/hong-kongs-cardboard-nannies-get-trolley-upgrade-after-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3027319/hong-kongs-cardboard-nannies-get-trolley-upgrade-after-team?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Sep 2019 23:00:17 +0000 Ten-year-old schoolgirl Huang Ho-yan’s mother felt hopeless when she found out a pair of corrective glasses for her daughter’s short-sightedness would set her back nearly HK$4,000 (US$511), when the family of four lives on her husband’s monthly salary of some HK$10,000. The housewife, who wished to be known only as Mrs Huang, said she could not sleep when Ho-yan’s myopia was found to have worsened to 350 degrees in April, from 150 degrees two years ago. “I could see the blackboard clearly... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3027181/cutting-edge-glasses-short-sighted-children-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3027181/cutting-edge-glasses-short-sighted-children-under?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Sep 2019 03:00:08 +0000 The incoming chairman of the Hospital Authority needs to quickly learn how frontline operations work in Hong Kong’s overstretched public hospitals, local medical professionals have said. The appointment of Henry Fan Hung-ling, a former executive councillor and businessman, was officially announced on Thursday, with the authority applauding his ““wealth of experience and professional knowledge in corporate management”. Fan, 71, begins his tenure as chairman of the 29-member governing board on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3026968/new-hospital-authority-chief-henry-fan-must-learn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3026968/new-hospital-authority-chief-henry-fan-must-learn?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:17:27 +0000 A Hong Kong advocacy group has called on the government to increase housing by taking over all of an exclusive golf course, expressing doubt that the city leader’s ambitious plan to create artificial islands would be achieved amid the ongoing protest crisis. Man Yu-ming, chairman of the Federation of Public Housing Estates, said on Wednesday that about 30,000 housing units could be built if the whole of Fanling golf course was taken back by the city, rather than 20 per cent of site as has been... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3026796/hong-kong-pressure-group-calls-chief-executive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3026796/hong-kong-pressure-group-calls-chief-executive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Sep 2019 13:36:10 +0000 Free or subsidised body checks, cancer screening and vaccination services that would cost the government about HK$7.8 billion (US$1 billion) a year should be provided at Hong Kong’s new community health centres, a think tank proposed on Tuesday. The proposal, one of four main recommendations from the Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre after a year-long study, was released two weeks before the city’s first district health centre was expected to open officially in Kwai Tsing. The research centre,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3026565/subsidised-body-checks-cancer-screening-and-flu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3026565/subsidised-body-checks-cancer-screening-and-flu?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Sep 2019 10:17:05 +0000 Hui Kin-man, 72, took his time opening his tiny bookstore for business on Friday, the same way he has done for half a century. But on this occasion, he is deep in thought, recalling the fond memories the shop he is closing for good have given him. Nestled on a street corner in Island East, King Luen Books and Stationery is so small it only allows one customer to browse at a time. The walls are hidden behind bookshelves piling up to the ceiling, with a metal stationery rack forming the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3026022/after-50-years-hong-kong-shopkeeper-closes-quarry-bay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3026022/after-50-years-hong-kong-shopkeeper-closes-quarry-bay?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Sep 2019 03:00:09 +0000 Two women died after one jumped from a residential building in Kwai Chung, and then landed on the other on a platform early on Friday afternoon. According to a police source, the younger woman, 55, died immediately after falling from the building on Tai Loong Street in Shek Lei. The woman, when falling, hit the other woman, 74, who was on a platform on the third floor. The elder woman was declared dead at 12:32pm after being brought to Yan Chai Hospital in Kwai Chung. Investigations showed that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3026102/woman-jumps-hong-kong-residential-building-landing-another?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3026102/woman-jumps-hong-kong-residential-building-landing-another?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Sep 2019 13:04:47 +0000 A tropical cyclone caused Hong Kong’s air quality to drop on Wednesday, with the city’s Observatory issuing a typhoon signal No 1 at 2.40pm. Tropical Storm Podul was centred about 630km southeast of the city at 5pm and forecast to move at about 25km/h toward Hainan Island. It brought hot and hazy weather to the city. The Observatory said the chance of the signal being upgraded to No 3 on Thursday was not high, as Podul would maintain a distance of more than 500km from Hong Kong. By 4pm, seven of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3024695/hong-kong-observatory-issues-typhoon-standby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3024695/hong-kong-observatory-issues-typhoon-standby?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2019 07:03:45 +0000 A new species of fireworm has been discovered on an outlying islet in Hong Kong by a team of biologists, becoming the 28th species of the creature found across the world. “More work should be done in discovering and identifying [fireworm] species in Hong Kong,” said Professor Qiu Jianwen, who led a team of biologist from Baptist University, when announcing the findings on Tuesday. “The government should also exercise more prudence in major development planning like reclamation. Otherwise, many... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3024524/hong-kong-biologist-warns-about-dangers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3024524/hong-kong-biologist-warns-about-dangers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Aug 2019 07:56:03 +0000 China’s foreign ministry said an employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong had been detained in mainland China.  Hong Kong resident Simon Cheng Man-kit, 28, lost touch with his family on August 8 while returning home from a business trip to Shenzhen, according to his girlfriend.  The reason for detention was not given. In Hong Kong, his disappearance has prompted concerns that it was somehow related to the ongoing anti-government protests. On Wednesday, China’s foreign ministry spokesman... https://www.scmp.com/politics/british-consulate-employee-hong-kong-detained-mainland-china-says-foreign-ministry/article/3023739?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/british-consulate-employee-hong-kong-detained-mainland-china-says-foreign-ministry/article/3023739?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2019 10:28:07 +0000 An employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong has been detained in mainland China for breaking the law, Beijing confirmed on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after the man disappeared returning to the city. Simon Cheng Man-kit, a trade and investment officer at the consulate’s Scottish Development International section, was being held for 15 days under administrative detention in Shenzhen – a city that neighbours Hong Kong – for violating “public security management regulations”, the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3023735/china-confirms-detention-british-consulate-trade-officer-simon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3023735/china-confirms-detention-british-consulate-trade-officer-simon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2019 08:42:02 +0000 The British government is seeking answers from China about a staff member from its consulate in Hong Kong who, according to his girlfriend, has been detained across the border for at least 10 days. Simon Cheng Man-kit’s girlfriend, a 27-year-old Taiwanese working in Hong Kong who asked to be identified only by her surname, Li, said the 28-year-old disappeared on August 8 while returning home through the immigration checkpoint at the West Kowloon terminus of the cross-border high-speed railway... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023634/british-consulate-worker-hong-kong-held-mainland-china-10?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023634/british-consulate-worker-hong-kong-held-mainland-china-10?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2019 14:07:50 +0000 More than HK$45 million in research funds from mainland China are making their way to a Hong Kong university in the first cross-border grants for scientific collaboration within the Greater Bay Area. Recipients at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) said demonstration of knowledge in national policies and fulfilling key industrial needs were ways to stand out among applicants. The grants come six months after Beijing rolled out a Greater Bay Area blueprint to turn nine... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023599/hong-kong-university-science-and-technology-nets-hk45?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023599/hong-kong-university-science-and-technology-nets-hk45?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2019 10:31:04 +0000 Hong Kong’s embattled police force has tried to show a softer side amid its recent struggle with anti-government protesters, releasing a video of an officer gently persuading residents besieging a police station to leave. The force released the clip, titled “affectionate dialogue in laser”, on its Facebook page on Saturday. It shows a white-shirted male police officer addressing protesters and residents through a microphone outside Ma On Shan Police Station. The people point laser beams at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023327/showing-softer-side-hong-kong-police-release-video-officer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023327/showing-softer-side-hong-kong-police-release-video-officer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2019 15:13:29 +0000 Police on Sunday arrested a man in relation to an armed attack that wounded five people in Hong Kong’s entertainment district Wan Chai. The violence broke out close to a pub near the junction of Luard Road and Lockhart Road at noon on Sunday. Personal information of the suspect and the wounded have not yet been disclosed. Rumours of armed gangs heighten tensions in North Point In video footage obtained by the Post, a group of about six people was seen attacking a man with machetes and rods... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3023314/hong-kong-police-arrest-one-connection-armed-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3023314/hong-kong-police-arrest-one-connection-armed-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2019 11:29:52 +0000 Hong Kong has not yet warranted any call for Beijing to send troops to the city for security purposes amid ongoing protests against the now-abandoned extradition bill, top Beijing adviser and the city’s former justice secretary Elsie Leung Oi-sie said on Sunday. Leung said on a radio programme that even if the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Hong Kong were deployed according to the Basic Law – Hong Kong’s mini-constitution – she did not think the move would damage the governing principle of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023301/no-reason-beijing-send-troops-hong-kong-deal-protests-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023301/no-reason-beijing-send-troops-hong-kong-deal-protests-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2019 09:43:26 +0000 The police have barred a prominent organiser of Hong Kong rallies from holding a march on Sunday, saying the group could not ensure public safety given the escalating violence at recent protests. This is the first time the Civil Human Rights Front, which leads the annual pro-democracy march on July 1 and drew a turnout of 2 million for a protest June, has had its protest plans banned, according to former leader Jackie Hung Ling-yu. In a letter to the group, the police cited 18 anti-government... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023006/police-ban-marches-hong-kong-readies-11th-weekend-mass-anti?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023006/police-ban-marches-hong-kong-readies-11th-weekend-mass-anti?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2019 15:07:47 +0000 Hongkongers trying to cross the border into mainland China have reported being asked to unlock their mobile phones by immigration officers for the inspection of photos and videos related to the anti-extradition bill protests. Of 10 travellers who shared their experiences with the Post, five said mainland authorities had also inspected their private messages at land control points between Hong Kong and the neighbouring city of Shenzhen. All of them – most of whom declined to be named as they... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022828/chinese-immigration-officials-inspect-hongkongers-phones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022828/chinese-immigration-officials-inspect-hongkongers-phones?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2019 00:00:17 +0000 Anti-government protesters have severely disrupted air travel for a second straight day, forcing Hong Kong International Airport to suspend check-in services for all departing flights. The Airport Authority announced on Tuesday afternoon that only passengers checked in before 4.30pm would be able to fly. Incoming flights for the rest of the day would continue. Thousands of demonstrators had occupied the area around the check-in aisles from about 2.30pm, before making their way towards departure... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3022522/hong-kong-airport-hundreds-more-flights-cancelled-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3022522/hong-kong-airport-hundreds-more-flights-cancelled-day?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2019 00:40:20 +0000 Anti-government protesters have vowed “no negotiation and no compromise” a day after Beijing’s top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs said one of their demands – an inquiry into the recent political saga – could happen only when the chaos has ended. Beijing’s call for unity also prompted a league of major property developers to jointly condemn the increasingly violent protests against the now-shelved extradition bill. On Wednesday, Zhang Xiaoming, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022035/hong-kong-anti-government-protesters-reject-beijings-claim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022035/hong-kong-anti-government-protesters-reject-beijings-claim?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2019 12:52:42 +0000 Thousands of legal professionals in Hong Kong took part in a second silent march in two months on Wednesday, to voice their discontent at the “political prosecution” of anti-government protesters. The group, which organiser and legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang said involved 3,000 people at its peak, also called on the government to formally withdraw the now-abandoned extradition bill, and launch an independent inquiry into the whole political crisis. “The legal sector does not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3021860/hong-kongs-justice-department-denies-prosecution-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3021860/hong-kongs-justice-department-denies-prosecution-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2019 13:29:58 +0000 Hong Kong civil servants risked the wrath of their embarrassed employer on Friday night as they gathered for an unprecedented rally in the city’s business district and called on the embattled government to meet protesters’ demands over the raging extradition bill turmoil. Flanked by thousands of ordinary Hongkongers, the government employees’ protest went ahead despite – just hours earlier – the city’s second-highest official, Mathew Cheung Kin-chung, urging those on the public payroll not to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3021276/hong-kong-civil-servants-embarrass-government-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3021276/hong-kong-civil-servants-embarrass-government-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Aug 2019 16:30:24 +0000 Hong Kong’s ongoing protests against a now-shelved extradition bill appeared to have won rare support from mainland China as more than 10 pictures of ID cards and passports decorated with supportive stickers went viral online on Thursday. In Taipei, meanwhile, nine city councillors reserved space in a city centre pedestrian tunnel to build a Lennon Wall for residents to post messages of support for Hong Kong. Colourful collages of Post-it notes have sprang up in more than 70 locations in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3021054/hong-kong-extradition-bill-protesters-win-rare-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3021054/hong-kong-extradition-bill-protesters-win-rare-support?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2019 16:08:43 +0000 The chief of the Chinese military garrison in Hong Kong has spoken for the first time about the ongoing unrest in the city, warning that violent clashes would not be tolerated and that the army was determined to protect China’s sovereignty. Chen Daoxiang, the commander of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) Hong Kong garrison, made the warning at a reception in Hong Kong celebrating the 92nd anniversary of the Chinese military on Wednesday, when the garrison also released a promotional video... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3020881/chinese-armys-hong-kong-chief-says-troops-are-ready-protect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3020881/chinese-armys-hong-kong-chief-says-troops-are-ready-protect?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2019 02:28:42 +0000 Forty-three protesters on Wednesday became the first batch of participants of the extradition bill demonstrations to be formally charged for rioting, with all later released on bail and most given a midnight curfew. Among those who stood in the dock were a Cathay Pacific pilot, a teacher and 14 students, with the youngest being a 16-year-old girl, and the oldest, a 41-year-old woman. They were charged in connection with Sunday’s protests in Central and Western district on Hong Kong Island, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3020736/hong-kong-protesters-riot-charges-set-be-released-bail-some?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3020736/hong-kong-protesters-riot-charges-set-be-released-bail-some?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2019 02:29:20 +0000 Hundreds of Hong Kong civil servants and government employees have anonymously aired their frustrations against the city’s administration and the police’s handling of the recent unrest, with some threatening industrial action if their demands are not met by mid-August. Civil servants from at least 44 departments, including non-frontline officers from the police force, the justice department and judiciary, issued two petitions. In the first, issued on Wednesday, more than 400 executive officers... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3019979/hong-kong-civil-servants-set-lennon-wall-policy-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3019979/hong-kong-civil-servants-set-lennon-wall-policy-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2019 03:00:13 +0000 A fiery pro-Beijing lawmaker who has become a hate figure for Hong Kong’s anti-government protest movement suffered a deeply personal attack on Tuesday when his parents’ graves were trashed. Many opposing the now-suspended extradition bill have made Junius Ho Kwan-yiu the target of their anger after he was seen shaking hands with men in white T-shirts who were accused of assaulting protesters and train passengers in the northern town of Yuen Long. While police had cordoned off the site in Leung... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3019750/pro-beijing-lawmaker-junius-ho-storms-out-live-tv-interview?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3019750/pro-beijing-lawmaker-junius-ho-storms-out-live-tv-interview?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2019 08:14:28 +0000 A pro-Beijing lawmaker on Monday defended the white-clad men who indiscriminately attacked civilians in Yuen Long on Sunday night, saying they were merely “defending their home and people”. While Junius Ho Kwan-yiu distanced himself from the assault, he said: “The sinners can be pardoned.” The rural leader is in hot water after he was filmed shaking hands with men in white clothes and thanking them on Sunday night. But it was unclear what he was thanking them for. His defence for the white-clad... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3019621/pro-beijing-lawmaker-junius-ho-defends-white-clad-mob?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3019621/pro-beijing-lawmaker-junius-ho-defends-white-clad-mob?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2019 10:21:11 +0000 Hong Kong’s political crisis pervaded the opening of the city’s biggest annual book fair on Wednesday with keen interest in publications on the subject. Concerns about anti-government protests disrupting the event proved unfounded but activists against the extradition bill made sure their objections to it featured prominently. Exhibitors at the week-long Hong Kong Book Fair 2019 set up at least five “Lennon Walls” – which have been springing up across the city over the past week – to let... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3018943/political-publications-feature-hong-kong-book-fair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3018943/political-publications-feature-hong-kong-book-fair?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2019 05:52:01 +0000 Hong Kong’s annual book fair has strengthened security measures after extradition bill protesters vowed to target booths of a state-owned publishing group when the week-long event opens on Wednesday. “We have enhanced our security, but I cannot disclose the details,” said Benjamin Chau, deputy executive director of the fair’s organiser, the Trade Development Council, on Tuesday. “I do not know exactly what the protesters are going to do, but I hope they will not disturb other people enjoying the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018880/security-arrangements-be-enhanced-hong-kongs-book-fair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018880/security-arrangements-be-enhanced-hong-kongs-book-fair?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2019 14:51:38 +0000 Opponents of the now-suspended extradition bill are planning to expand their protests to Hong Kong’s hugely popular annual book fair by targeting booths run by a mainland China state-owned publishing conglomerate. The fair opens on Wednesday and the city’s embattled leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has decided to skip it for the first time in three years. The Chief Executive’s Office did not provide a specific reason for turning down the invitation, according to event organiser the Trade... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018719/hong-kong-protesters-target-annual-book-fair-and-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018719/hong-kong-protesters-target-annual-book-fair-and-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2019 01:00:24 +0000 Shuttered shops were a common sight in the Hong Kong border town of Sheung Shui on Saturday as thousands of people descended on the area to protest against mainland Chinese visitors and parallel traders. Dozens of shops and restaurants either closed early or shut for the day fearing trouble. After a peaceful hour-long march in the afternoon to “reclaim Sheung Shui”, events took an ugly turn as clashes broke out between hundreds of protesters and police shortly before 6pm. Young, masked... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018504/pharmacies-and-cosmetics-shops-targeted-parallel-trading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018504/pharmacies-and-cosmetics-shops-targeted-parallel-trading?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2019 17:07:57 +0000 Hong Kong’s border town of Sheung Shui was rocked by protest violence and chaos for hours on Saturday before police could clear the streets at night, following a major rally against mainland Chinese visitors and parallel traders. Police described the mostly young protesters as “highly organised” and well prepared to attack them with iron poles and other weapons which they distributed among themselves in advance. Sources said at least five police officers were injured in running battles with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018473/sheung-shui-readies-itself-protests-hongkongers-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018473/sheung-shui-readies-itself-protests-hongkongers-take?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2019 06:59:43 +0000 Hong Kong’s oldest university offered protection for students in the first dialogue between young protesters and the embattled institution late on Friday night, about a month after the escalation of a series of protests against a now-suspended extradition bill. In the 40-minute conversation between Zhang Xiang, vice chancellor and president of the University of Hong Kong, and about 100 protesting students, Zhang maintained that violence by any party, including those who broke into the city’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018469/university-hong-kong-will-protect-its-students-summary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018469/university-hong-kong-will-protect-its-students-summary?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2019 05:59:41 +0000 The extradition bill crisis has continued to divide Hong Kong society, with union members now complaining employers are sacking workers because of their opposition to the suspended legislation. The Confederation of Trade Unions said on Friday the organisation had recently received a range of complaints from frontline workers who said they had been unfairly treated – or fired – over their political views. Yoshinoya, the Japanese food chain, was the latest brand to be caught in the divisive... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018423/yoshinoya-hong-kong-steams-local-advertising-agency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018423/yoshinoya-hong-kong-steams-local-advertising-agency?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2019 13:11:30 +0000 Pharmacies frequented by mainland Chinese visitors and parallel traders in a border district of Hong Kong have been warned to shut down if safety is threatened during a protest march on Saturday. North District Parallel Imports Concern Group will organise a protest march to “recover Sheung Shui”, where residents have for years complained of nuisance caused by traders buying goods to take back to mainland China. The group expects a turnout in thousands rather than the usual few hundreds, given... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018266/pharmacies-frequented-mainland-chinese-visitors-alert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018266/pharmacies-frequented-mainland-chinese-visitors-alert?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2019 00:17:12 +0000 The head of Hong Kong’s oldest university issued a clarification on Wednesday condemning all violence after a student petition demanded he retract a statement they said singled out protesters. Amid the threat of campus demonstrations on Friday and Saturday, the University of Hong Kong President Zhang Xiang said he would condemn proven acts of violence committed “by any party” during the extradition bill unrest. In the original statement issued on July 3, Zhang said he was “disheartened by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018093/university-hong-kong-president-vows-condemn-all-violence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018093/university-hong-kong-president-vows-condemn-all-violence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:10:41 +0000 Hong Kong journalism groups have accused police of assaulting journalists and obstructing reporting during running battles between officers and extradition bill protesters on Sunday. In a joint statement, the Hong Kong Journalists Association and Hong Kong Press Photographers Association, claimed that during the clearance of protesters on Nathan Road in Mong Kok, officers had repeatedly pushed reporters and photographers on the front line, and even assaulted them. These moves limited coverage of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017673/hong-kong-journalism-groups-accuse-police-assaulting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017673/hong-kong-journalism-groups-accuse-police-assaulting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2019 05:50:29 +0000 Heavyweights in Hong Kong’s pro-government camp are locked in a rare public quarrel over the city’s extradition bill crisis, with a pro-business party grandee calling on three members of the chief executive’s cabinet to quit. The Liberal Party’s James Tien Pei-chun demanded his party colleague Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, who had failed to relay public opposition to the bill to Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor should stand down. Tien said two other Exco members, Ronny Tong Ka-wah and Regina... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017668/hong-kongs-liberal-party-deeply-split-over-extradition-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017668/hong-kongs-liberal-party-deeply-split-over-extradition-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2019 05:17:52 +0000 Chaos erupted on the streets of Hong Kong’s shopping district of Mong Kok on Sunday night as hundreds of protesters fought running battles with the police. After the first mass rally in Kowloon against the government’s now-suspended extradition bill drew an estimated 230,000 peaceful protesters, many remained behind to occupy the streets of Mong Kok and confront police late into the night. Officers warned the protesters that they were taking part in illegal assemblies. Police chased some... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3017627/protesters-and-police-fight-pitched-battles-late-night?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3017627/protesters-and-police-fight-pitched-battles-late-night?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2019 17:02:31 +0000 The first mass rally on the streets of Kowloon against the government’s extradition bill ended on Sunday after an estimated 230,000 protesters marched peacefully through the bustling tourist hub of Tsim Sha Tsui to the cross-border, high-speed railway station. Organisers said the turnout was far bigger than they had expected and they had kept their promise that it would be a “peaceful, rational and graceful” affair, giving a boost to a pro-democracy movement that has been marred by recent bouts... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017620/mass-rally-draws-tens-thousands-streets-kowloon-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017620/mass-rally-draws-tens-thousands-streets-kowloon-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2019 14:18:36 +0000 More than 230,000 protesters took to the streets of Kowloon on Sunday for the first time against the Hong Kong government’s now-suspended extradition bill, according to organisers. They said they had kept their promise to ensure the rally was peaceful as the aim was to give a good impression to mainland Chinese visitors whose support they were seeking. Organisers said the attendance was higher than expected, as crowds gathered at Salisbury Garden, prompting the rally to kick off at 3.30pm, about... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017589/passengers-hong-kong-high-speed-rail-link-face-serious?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017589/passengers-hong-kong-high-speed-rail-link-face-serious?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2019 06:45:42 +0000 Hundreds of mothers gathered for a second time in three weeks at Chater Garden in Central on Friday night in a show of solidarity with young protesters opposing the ­extradition bill. They expressed fears for the safety of their children following the storming of the city’s legislature by mostly young protesters on Monday, stressing that their lives must be treasured. They expressed hope that youngsters would control their emotions but also urged the government to stop being “arrogant” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017502/mothers-gather-show-solidarity-hong-kongs-young-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017502/mothers-gather-show-solidarity-hong-kongs-young-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jul 2019 15:17:34 +0000 Hong Kong education officials have defended the controversial school subject liberal studies, saying it should not be blamed for violent protests over the extradition bill as a former leader had suggested. “There is no proof that liberal studies causes students to take radical actions,” Wendy Au Wan-sze, principal assistant secretary for education, said on Thursday. Former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, now vice-chairman of China’s top political advisory body, had said on Wednesday the subject... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3017321/education-officials-defend-controversial-liberal-studies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3017321/education-officials-defend-controversial-liberal-studies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2019 13:57:54 +0000 Hong Kong’s recent turmoil has led to an alarming surge in calls for emotional support, with specialists warning of an increase in suicidal thoughts and urging the government to immediately address a potential mental health crisis. Samaritan Befrienders, a suicide prevention group, said on Wednesday that it had received 42 calls for help since June 9. Clarence Tsang, the group’s chief executive, said all the calls were “bill related”, referring to the government’s unpopular extradition bill that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017177/experts-warn-mental-health-crisis-triggered-extradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3017177/experts-warn-mental-health-crisis-triggered-extradition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2019 00:00:09 +0000 For the past three weeks, multiple protests against a now-suspended extradition bill have roiled Hong Kong. Inkstone has previously reported on how the mostly young demonstrators rest, eat and pee. And how the leaderless movement organized themselves. On the evening of July 1, the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, a much smaller group of more radical activists shocked the world by charging into and ransacking the city’s legislature to express their grievances toward the... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protesters-vote-storm-legislature-building/article/3017096?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protesters-vote-storm-legislature-building/article/3017096?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jul 2019 09:38:05 +0000