https://www.scmp.com/rss/322466/feed Prior to his career switch, Harminder was a full-time journalist covering local and international politics, economics, and social issues. Before joining the Post as a reporter in 2016, he was a news anchor with ATV World and host of their weekly talk show Newsline. In 2018, Harminder hosted the flagship show Talk the Walk for Hong Kong International Business Channel. He has gone on to a different career path as an international investor, but still keeps one foot in the journalism and commentary... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com During Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s New Year’s address, he said he welcomed the return of people who had left the city because of Covid-19 and other reasons. While it is commendable that Lee reached out to Hongkongers overseas, there has not been a reconciliation with what led to the exodus. Before the emergence of the Omicron variant, many Hongkongers were satisfied with the government’s handling of the pandemic. Most people tolerated universal masking since the city’s infection numbers... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3206143/when-strict-anti-pandemic-measures-could-make-comeback-why-would-hongkongers-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3206143/when-strict-anti-pandemic-measures-could-make-comeback-why-would-hongkongers-return?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jan 2023 22:45:11 +0000 Harminder Singh Harminder Singh Fifty years ago this month, US president Richard Nixon ended gold-to-US dollar convertibility to save the country’s gold holdings from exhaustion. This set the world on the path of a debt-based monetary system that we participate in today. The move has resulted in a widening wealth gap around the world, irresponsible government spending and asset prices that have gone stratospheric. Following World War II, 730 delegates from 44 Allied nations hammered out a new monetary system at Bretton Woods... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3145787/nixon-shock-still-threat-global-economy-50-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3145787/nixon-shock-still-threat-global-economy-50-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Aug 2021 15:30:10 +0000 Moving to the West in the 1980s and 1990s was considered peak social status for anyone lucky enough to get the green light to emigrate. Rule of law, affordable housing, freedom to travel, high-quality education and capitalism achieved through a meritocratic system drew immigrants to English-speaking liberal democracies. Unfortunately, what made the West a desirable destination to establish roots is crumbling before our very eyes and raises this question: do Hong Kong residents leaving the city,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3123224/horrors-taxes-and-social-justice-await-hongkongers-fleeing-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3123224/horrors-taxes-and-social-justice-await-hongkongers-fleeing-west?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Feb 2021 00:15:09 +0000 A white historic building surrounded by the glitzy skyscrapers of Central and the hipster shops of Soho has been the site of hundreds of thousands of Instagram photos and is described as a must-visit destination on tourist and design guides. It once housed the city’s men in blue, but since 2014, the Police Married Quarters or PMQ, has been a trendy melting pot of local fashion, design, art and lifestyle offerings. Now, the government wants to replicate its success and build a similar design and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2134530/can-one-hong-kongs-poorest-and-oldest-neighbourhoods-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2134530/can-one-hong-kongs-poorest-and-oldest-neighbourhoods-take?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Feb 2018 04:31:42 +0000 Hong Kong should follow the lead of other jurisdictions and introduce new legislation or amend current laws for greater transparency on personal data and content removal requests by various government branches, say advocates for more openness. This is in light of government requests to an internet search engine – Google – for removal of content for “national security” reasons, although no law existed to grant such a request. With the government’s refusal to expand surveillance regulations by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2132748/new-laws-needed-cover-content-removal-requests-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2132748/new-laws-needed-cover-content-removal-requests-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:07:21 +0000 As shopping habits of Hong Kong consumers increasingly shift from physical to virtual, complaints against online purchases surged by over 20 per cent last year, alarming the city’s consumer watchdog, who called for stronger government protection for consumers. The Consumer Council revealed that complaints against online purchases jumped 23 per cent last year, compared to 2016, resulting in 3,928 cases. The complaints were chiefly against purchases of air tickets and hotel... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2132604/consumer-watchdog-calls-better-government-protection-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2132604/consumer-watchdog-calls-better-government-protection-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Feb 2018 11:45:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s mobile phone operators will soon issue numbers starting with “unlucky” digit 4 or “lucky” digit 8, although they are keeping mum about how they will market these to consumers who are both superstitious and hungry for mobile devices.  The telecommunications regulatory body confirmed on Monday that to meet demand for mobile numbers, it would make available to operators 10.6 million new numbers with prefixes 4, 7, and 8.  It expected operators to start assigning the numbers this month,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2132118/telco-regulator-confirms-hong-kong-mobile-numbers-will-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2132118/telco-regulator-confirms-hong-kong-mobile-numbers-will-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Feb 2018 23:00:30 +0000 The Hong Kong Observatory on Monday afternoon issued its third frost warning of the year, as the city was getting ready to endure another night of very cold weather despite warmer weather forecast for later this week. The frost warning was issued at 4.30pm on Monday, cautioning farmers to mind their crops. Relief from the cold snap is forecast to begin from Wednesday, with daytime temperature highs hovering in the mid to high teens. It will be warmest this week on Saturday at 19 degrees. Cold... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2132012/observatory-cancels-second-frost-warning-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2132012/observatory-cancels-second-frost-warning-year?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Feb 2018 04:15:30 +0000 Former soldier, architect, civil servant and “father of public housing” Michael Wright died on Friday, in London, aged 105. Katty Law Ngar-ning, convenor of the Central and Western Concern Group, broke the news of Wright’s passing on the group’s Facebook page on Tuesday. Law, who first visited Wright in London in 2012, recalled how the former director of public works continued to keep an eye on Hong Kong affairs even though he had been retired for decades. “He shared his love for Hong Kong and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2131227/hong-kongs-father-public-housing-michael-wright-dies-aged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2131227/hong-kongs-father-public-housing-michael-wright-dies-aged?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jan 2018 14:00:59 +0000 Harminder Singh Harminder Singh The explosion of unregulated initial coin offerings (ICOs) and volatility in the price of virtual currencies is of concern to Hong Kong policymakers, who on Monday said it would not ban them, but would educate people about the risks of such investments. The public education campaign would highlight that cryptocurrencies have fluctuated in price, are not backed by any physical commodity or the issuer, and are subjected to hacking risks. It would be rolled out from March in MTR stations and print,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2131083/hong-kong-wont-ban-digital-currencies-will-educate-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2131083/hong-kong-wont-ban-digital-currencies-will-educate-public?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jan 2018 12:22:19 +0000 Some 73 per cent of business executives and 45 per cent of other residents polled by one of the Big Four accounting firms believe Hong Kong is falling behind other developed cities in promoting technology and innovation, due to a low appetite for risk-taking and a dearth of technology graduates. Findings from the survey of more than 1,500 people – about a third of them business executives – by KPMG and YouGov between October and December last year, come amid a government push to make Hong Kong a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2131038/fear-risks-and-too-few-tech-graduates-stalling-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2131038/fear-risks-and-too-few-tech-graduates-stalling-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jan 2018 08:08:42 +0000 Hong Kong’s welfare minister on Sunday sought to clarify how schools should report suspected cases of child abuse, following concerns expressed by educators about notifying parents before police. Teachers and social workers were worried that an official reporting mechanism could prove fruitless if they were required to inform the child’s parents before social services or police. They said it could affect how cases were handled. But writing his weekly blog on Sunday, Secretary for Labour and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2130934/teachers-free-judge-whether-call-police-parents-when-child?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2130934/teachers-free-judge-whether-call-police-parents-when-child?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jan 2018 12:02:12 +0000 Hongkongers shun sharing economy services such as Uber or Airbnb when travelling abroad, unlike tourists from other countries and cities in the Asia-Pacific region, a survey by a technology firm in the industry has found. This reluctance mirrored the Hong Kong government’s attitudes towards such businesses locally, according to Amadeus, a Spanish B2B IT provider for the global travel industry. The company polled 300 people in the city about their travel habits and found that 86 per cent never or... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2130912/hong-kong-travellers-slow-embrace-uber-or-airbnb-services?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2130912/hong-kong-travellers-slow-embrace-uber-or-airbnb-services?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jan 2018 08:22:20 +0000 A Hong Kong university whose researchers invented the first-ever day contact lenses to reduce short-sightedness in children has partnered with a local start-up to produce the device, which will be 40 per cent cheaper than an existing myopia treatment. Polytechnic University’s Defocus Incorporated Soft Contact (DISC) will cost HK$8,800 per year (US$1,125) – this is for four sets of lenses as each pair has to be replaced every quarter. The custom-made lenses have to be worn during the day and for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2130044/contact-lenses-invented-hong-kong-correct-child?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2130044/contact-lenses-invented-hong-kong-correct-child?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jan 2018 09:27:39 +0000 Most 21-year-olds are typically studying or filling employment applications for entry-level jobs. But for Ankrish Gidwani, the main concern is finding full-time qualified staff for the bakery he started nine years ago. It is a remarkable rise for the young entrepreneur, who once never dreamed his hobby and passion for baking would become his job. Gidwani got his first paid order when he was 12, after posting about his baking on his blog. “At that time it wasn’t a business. I was just doing it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2129789/early-rise-young-hongkonger-breaking-baking-aged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2129789/early-rise-young-hongkonger-breaking-baking-aged?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jan 2018 04:16:34 +0000 A long-running dispute over the relocation of a fabric hawkers’ market in Hong Kong saw a breakthrough on Tuesday when the commerce minister offered to incorporate it in plans for a new fashion hub in the district. The idea was unveiled at a Sham Shui Po district council meeting by Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah as he shared plans for a five-storey fashion and design centre. About two dozen members of the Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar facing government... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2128541/disputed-relocation-hong-kong-fabric-hawkers-sees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2128541/disputed-relocation-hong-kong-fabric-hawkers-sees?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jan 2018 01:30:54 +0000 The new chairman of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong has said his country can learn from the city’s economic system and adopt it, increasing competitiveness, economic growth and tax revenue for Canada’s government. Todd Handcock was elected the chamber’s new chairman in late October for a two-year term. The 15-year Hong Kong resident said Canada could take a page from Hong Kong’s book on tax and regulatory frameworks to fill government coffers and give companies more money to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2125649/canada-can-learn-hong-kongs-tax-system-commerce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2125649/canada-can-learn-hong-kongs-tax-system-commerce?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Dec 2017 03:33:21 +0000 Over the past several years Hong Kong has been trying to reinvent itself as a hi-tech hub, looking to turn start-ups into the next Facebook or Google. But with the focus on technology, other entrepreneurs say they are being neglected, even though they feel they are just as important to the city’s economy. After his recycling business collapsed four years ago, Wouter van Marle established a hydroponics start-up, which allows Hongkongers to use their balcony or rooftop to grow vegetables such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2125524/more-economy-finding-next-google-or-facebook-hong-kongs-small?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2125524/more-economy-finding-next-google-or-facebook-hong-kongs-small?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Dec 2017 03:03:08 +0000 About 50 people marched in Hong Kong on Sunday, submitting petitions to several foreign consulates to protest against employment agencies overcharging migrant workers and demand better legal protection from abuse and exploitation. The protesters, mostly foreign domestic helpers and local supporters, demanded the government regulate agencies to stamp out illegal and exploitative practices. They said the voluntary Code of Practice for Employment Agencies (COP), introduced in January, does not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2124689/hong-kong-domestic-helpers-march-demand-stronger-legal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2124689/hong-kong-domestic-helpers-march-demand-stronger-legal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Dec 2017 23:00:45 +0000 Bob Laberge, a data warehouse technical specialist in his 50s, invested in bitcoin for the first time on November 15 – when the digital currency was valued at about US$6,600 – knowing very little about it. He invested US$500 as a test – each individual bitcoin can be reduced into smaller pieces – and everything went smoothly. That US$500 investment is now worth about $1,350. Two weeks after his first punt Laberge decided to invest “tens of thousands more”. But when he did, the bitcoin exchange... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2124598/hongkongers-are-going-big-bitcoin-some-dont-understand-what?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2124598/hongkongers-are-going-big-bitcoin-some-dont-understand-what?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Dec 2017 10:00:15 +0000 For the second year in a row, Hong Kong’s Ocean Park recorded a loss coupled with a drop in attendance, which the theme park blamed on the city’s recent retail and tourism downturn. The Southern District attraction also announced a 9 per cent admission fee increase on Wednesday, taking effect on New Year’s Day, to “maintain competitiveness”. The HK$234.4 million deficit in the financial year ending on June 30 was slightly lower than the loss of HK$241.1 million the year before, but attendance... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2124116/hong-kongs-ocean-park-announces-hk2344-million-deficit-along?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2124116/hong-kongs-ocean-park-announces-hk2344-million-deficit-along?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Dec 2017 05:00:45 +0000 Octopus has made a big play in the battle with its legion of e-payment competitors, joining forces with Samsung to offer smartphone functions that will allow Hongkongers to use their phone in place of their Octopus card. Through mobile wallet app Samsung Pay, and select Samsung smartphones, Octopus users will be able to pay for local travel, small purchases, or get in and out of residential estates using their handset. Previous Octopus smartphone apps did not have tap-and-pay functions. UnionPay... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2123878/hongkongers-will-soon-be-able-use-phones-place-octopus-cards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2123878/hongkongers-will-soon-be-able-use-phones-place-octopus-cards?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2017 12:42:28 +0000 Flight attendants and ground crew for Hong Kong’s de facto flagship carrier will receive a 1 per cent pay rise next year while most of its staff will get a one-month bonus, the loss-making airline said on Thursday. Cathay Pacific Airways quietly reached a deal with its flight attendants union, which had asked for a 3.5 per cent pay rise. The pay rise is below the city’s inflation rate for the first 10 months of this year, which averaged 1.4 per cent, according to the latest figures from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2123300/cathay-pacific-and-flight-attendants-union-agree-1-cent-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2123300/cathay-pacific-and-flight-attendants-union-agree-1-cent-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Dec 2017 06:41:24 +0000 Hong Kong’s private sector showed positive growth for the third straight month, according to a key economic indicator released on Tuesday, but the future business outlook looked gloomy. The Nikkei Hong Kong Purchasing Managers’ Index gauges private sector business conditions including manufacturing, services, retail and construction. A score of 50 or above signals growth in the economy, while anything below reflects decline. The rate of growth or contraction is shown by how far the figure... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2122961/hong-kong-private-sector-grows-third-straight-month-key-index?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2122961/hong-kong-private-sector-grows-third-straight-month-key-index?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Dec 2017 07:49:44 +0000 Hong Kong will be one of the world’s earliest adopters of next generation 5G mobile broadband services, which will run 10 times faster than existing high-speed mobile internet when the technology is ready for commercial use in 2020, local officials revealed on Friday. The Office of the Communications Authority said the city would “grasp” 5G’s benefits after service allocation details were finalised in 2019. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN body, will convene the World... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2122511/hong-kong-be-one-worlds-earliest-adopters-5g-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2122511/hong-kong-be-one-worlds-earliest-adopters-5g-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Dec 2017 11:30:32 +0000 On December 11, two months to the day he was denied entry into Hong Kong, British human rights campaigner Benedict Rogers plans to use his new-found infamy to fight a cause on the city’s behalf. The former resident of Hong Kong will launch a UK-based initiative to monitor what he claims are “worsening” human rights, freedoms and rule of law in the place he last called home in 2002. Rogers aims to lobby the British government and the international community against any violations of the rights... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2122342/its-sense-duty-aside-can-britain-play-relevant-role-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2122342/its-sense-duty-aside-can-britain-play-relevant-role-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Dec 2017 00:00:30 +0000 Hong Kong’s retail sector continued its bull run for the eighth consecutive month, posting a 3.9 per cent increase in October, helped mainly by an annual week-long holiday. Inbound tourism was also bolstered by the eight-day long “Golden Week” – a public holiday running from October 1 to 8 in mainland China – helping retail sectors across the board enjoy stronger sales compared with the same period last year. For the first 10 months of this year, retail sales increased 1.2 per cent year on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2122345/annual-holiday-helps-hong-kongs-retail-sector-maintain-strong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2122345/annual-holiday-helps-hong-kongs-retail-sector-maintain-strong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Nov 2017 13:26:14 +0000 Plans to stem the flow of Indonesian domestic helpers to Hong Kong appear to have been put on hold after the country’s consul general in the city revealed 5,000 maids had entered Hong Kong in the last five months, more than in the whole of 2016. Speaking on the sidelines of a launch event for Indonesia’s chamber of commerce, Consul General Tri Tharyat said a monthly average of 1,000 new Indonesian domestic helpers had come to Hong Kong for employment. “We are still very much open. Recently the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2122338/despite-joko-widodo-pledge-indonesian-domestic-helpers-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2122338/despite-joko-widodo-pledge-indonesian-domestic-helpers-are?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:45:00 +0000 Six Hong Kong tour groups were among about 60,000 travellers stranded on the Indonesian island of Bali on Monday as a volcano eruption was feared imminent. Joseph Tung Yao-chung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, said about 150 people in total were affected, all of whom were safe but stranded after the closure of Denpasar International Airport. Hong Kong’s Security Bureau issued a yellow travel advisory for Bali, warning travellers to “monitor the situation” and “exercise... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121813/six-hong-kong-tour-groups-stranded-bali-mount-agung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121813/six-hong-kong-tour-groups-stranded-bali-mount-agung?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Nov 2017 12:00:15 +0000 A Hong Kong district councillor is taking his own radical approach to the redevelopment of Central Market, suggesting the building be demolished in favour of an open space as government plans for the structure remain shrouded in mystery. Southern District councillor Paul Zimmerman collaborated with a local architectural firm and planned to present his proposal for the 175-year-old market to the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) on Monday. He recommends replacing the entire building with a footbridge... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121682/replace-central-market-oasis-district-councillor-urges-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2121682/replace-central-market-oasis-district-councillor-urges-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Nov 2017 04:15:30 +0000 The government auditor on Wednesday urged the licensing authority for Hong Kong’s guest houses to get tough on illegal accommodation, which have doubled in the past five years. In its latest report, the Audit Commission highlighted the rise in suspected unlicensed establishments since 2012, from 644 to 1,322. Of those 1,322 cases, 20 per cent remained unresolved after three years. “There was a risk that some unlicensed establishments related to these outstanding cases had been in operation for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2121098/number-unlicensed-hong-kong-guest-houses-doubles-over-past?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2121098/number-unlicensed-hong-kong-guest-houses-doubles-over-past?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Nov 2017 09:30:16 +0000 Hong Kong’s bitcoin entrepreneurs say they have been forced to open bank accounts overseas to operate their businesses, after local banks froze or closed their accounts, threatening the city’s push to become a fintech hub. Staff at Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange Gatecoin – which allow customers to exchange their digital money for fiat currency – were left perplexed after they received a phone call from a Hang Seng Bank representative on September 15, where they held a company bank... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2120506/hong-kongs-bitcoin-businesses-suffer-after-local-bank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2120506/hong-kongs-bitcoin-businesses-suffer-after-local-bank?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Nov 2017 04:45:00 +0000 Despite the less-than-stellar fortunes of Hong Kong’s food truck scheme, a new player is planning to hit the streets soon, the government revealed on Wednesday. In response to catering sector lawmaker Tommy Cheung Yu-yan’s questions about whether the government would make changes to the scheme in light of the departure of three operators, acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Bernard Chan Pak-li said the next food truck would commence operations after receiving its licence next... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2120093/vegetarian-hong-kong-food-truck-latest-enter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2120093/vegetarian-hong-kong-food-truck-latest-enter?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Nov 2017 00:02:30 +0000 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor vowed on Tuesday to take “vigorous enforcement action” against any local employment agencies that illegally arranged for foreign domestic helpers to work abroad in the wake of a clampdown by the Philippine government. Lam’s pledge came after the Philippine Department of Labour and Employment announced a three-week suspension from Monday of new applications for overseas employment certificates – a document necessary for all Filipinos planning to work... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2119782/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-vows-vigorous-enforcement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2119782/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-vows-vigorous-enforcement?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Nov 2017 04:00:00 +0000 The head of Hong Kong’s prisons has rebuffed claims by democracy activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung that he was made to strip and squat to answer questions from guards while he was serving a six-month jail term this year. Following his release from prison last month, Wong claimed he was stripped naked, forced to squat in front of a correctional officer and made to answer questions while in a crouched position. Commissioner of Correctional Services Terence Lam Kwok-leung said the department did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2119544/hong-kong-prisons-chief-denies-jailed-activist-joshua-wong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2119544/hong-kong-prisons-chief-denies-jailed-activist-joshua-wong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Nov 2017 11:41:38 +0000 Hong Kong police have broken up a crack cocaine factory at a luxury flat in Yuen Long, seizing the largest haul of raw drug materials in 10 years and arresting four men, one of them Peruvian. The ingredients – thought to have been flown into the city from Peru – could have made batches of the drug worth HK$59 million, officers said on Sunday. The police operation, in Hung Shui Kiu on Friday, led to the seizure of 10kg of suspected crack cocaine and 150kg of materials to make the drug. The raw... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2119513/hong-kong-police-break-crack-cocaine-factory-yuen-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2119513/hong-kong-police-break-crack-cocaine-factory-yuen-long?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Nov 2017 06:19:33 +0000 The founder of Asia’s only radio-controlled scale racing event said growing popularity among mainland players has prompted him to consider adding to the sport’s Hong Kong stop with an event north of the border. Brian Parker, founder of Recon G6, saw a significant increase in interest from mainland drivers through social media and this year’s Asian Scale Invasion event in Hong Kong – happening this Saturday and Sunday – and may add a second Asian stop to the tour in the mainland next year or in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2119465/radio-controlled-car-racing-founder-eyes-mainland-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2119465/radio-controlled-car-racing-founder-eyes-mainland-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Nov 2017 11:02:23 +0000 Hong Kong has been ranked 68th in a global smart city index – way behind its main rival Singapore, which came in second, and trailing its neighbours in the region like Taipei, Tokyo and Seoul. Despite recent efforts by the government to make the city smarter, Hong Kong scored poorly in several factors including transport and mobility, sustainability, innovative economy, digitisation, and experts’ perception. The city also lost out for its lack of car-sharing services, such as Uber, and the low... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2118934/why-singapore-much-smarter-hong-kong-city-left-trailing-rival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2118934/why-singapore-much-smarter-hong-kong-city-left-trailing-rival?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2017 07:00:00 +0000 Some users of Hong Kong’s first bike-sharing service Gobee.bike will be unable to unlock bicycles with their smartphones because of a server and software upgrade that is expected to last until the end of the month. Since Thursday, customers have been posting messages on the company’s Facebook page, complaining of the app failing to unlock bicycles. “[I] felt extremely disappointed that such a great service was out of order [for such a] long duration,” user Patsy Lin said, adding that she had... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2118675/sheer-number-hong-kong-users-stalls-gobeebike-app-fix-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2118675/sheer-number-hong-kong-users-stalls-gobeebike-app-fix-take?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2017 23:31:06 +0000 After posting a significant drop in profit last year, Singapore Airlines says it plans to invest US$850 million (HK$6.6 billion) in its aeroplanes and services, contrary to the across-the-board cost-cutting strategy of its arch-rival Cathay Pacific Airways. In its last financial year, Singapore Airlines posted a 9 per cent drop in profits, due to weakening demand for full-service long-haul travel amid competition from low-cost and Middle Eastern carriers. But rather than cut services and costs... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2118172/singapore-airlines-plans-us850-million-fleet-upgrade-despite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2118172/singapore-airlines-plans-us850-million-fleet-upgrade-despite?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Nov 2017 11:03:03 +0000 Hong Kong drivers having difficulties reaching Octopus card readers at payment booths for parking or tunnel tolls will soon be offered a helping hand, but not all of them are applauding. The contactless payment company is launching an extendable wand with a tip shaped like a palm, to help people from the driver’s seat tap their cards on hard-to-reach scanners. The palm end of the wand functions like an Octopus card to complete transactions once it is tapped onto readers. Hong Kong slow to go... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2117664/handy-or-nonsensical-octopus-roll-out-stick-hong-kong-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2117664/handy-or-nonsensical-octopus-roll-out-stick-hong-kong-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2017 23:30:55 +0000 Strict regulations have forced the first driverless vehicle built in Hong Kong to take its maiden road test on the mainland despite perfect conditions to do so in the city, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology researchers said on Monday. The vehicle was developed by Professor Liu Ming and a team of eight students, who equipped a golf cart with an autopilot system that senses its environment. Driverless cars may cut crashes, but computers do fail The density of cars and obstacles made... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2117660/first-driverless-car-built-hong-kong-hits-road-block?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2117660/first-driverless-car-built-hong-kong-hits-road-block?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2017 11:14:40 +0000 Sufferers of a chronic lung disease are urging the Hong Kong government to lift restrictions on oxygen tanks being carried on buses, saying current regulations are discriminatory and affect their freedom of movement. Chow, 63, who did not want to reveal his first name, is a former construction worker and smoker and one such patient. He was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) six years ago. Two years back, he started requiring the full-time use of an oxygen cylinder as his... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2117515/lung-disease-patients-call-oxygen-tanks-be-allowed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2117515/lung-disease-patients-call-oxygen-tanks-be-allowed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2017 13:15:45 +0000 Concerns on worsening light pollution have been raised after a new LED screen in the size of five tennis courts started operating on Friday in the heart of Hong Kong’s shopping district Causeway Bay already notorious for being very bright at night. The screen was installed on the facade of the Sogo department store, located in Causeway Bay, and has a surface area of around 1,400 square metres, one of the largest in the Asia-Pacific region. The towering LED billboard has worried anti-light... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2117352/heavy-light-hong-kong-led-screen-size-five-tennis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2117352/heavy-light-hong-kong-led-screen-size-five-tennis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2017 13:33:35 +0000 A smartphone app from India that will provide “Uber-style” on-demand personal and household services made its debut in Hong Kong on Friday. OkSir is a lifestyle app that connects customers with thousands of vendors across the city providing in-home services such as babysitting, plumbing, laundry, elderly care and even astrology. The app was first released in India in 2015 and serves customers in five major cities. The developer claims the software fulfils 3,000 service needs daily there. Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2117289/babysitting-laundry-even-astrology-indian-developer-brings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2117289/babysitting-laundry-even-astrology-indian-developer-brings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2017 07:47:05 +0000 Hong Kong wine connoisseurs may have to pay higher prices for California wines in the future due to recent bush fires in the US state. Merchants at this year’s Wine and Dine Festival on the Central harbourfront specialising in wines from California’s famous Napa Valley and Sonoma expected an impact due to the destruction of wineries in the state. “We think the coming year will see the price of wine going up because supply will be a little bit lower,” Thy Wine brand ambassador Sam Lam Chi-ming... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2117197/higher-prices-may-be-cards-californian-wines-hong-kong-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2117197/higher-prices-may-be-cards-californian-wines-hong-kong-after?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2017 01:03:50 +0000 Hong Kong drivers received a reprieve from higher penalties for illegal parking in certain circumstances, after a Legislative Council subcommittee threw out a government proposal and told it to solve the shortage in parking spaces first. However, while the subcommittee did not approve of raising fines for nine parking offences, it gave the green light for increasing fines for five other traffic offences. The penalties left unchanged included those for loading or unloading goods in restricted... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2116812/hong-kong-drivers-escape-stiffer-fines-illegal-parking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2116812/hong-kong-drivers-escape-stiffer-fines-illegal-parking?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2017 12:06:35 +0000 There are no plans to cut Hong Kong’s corporate taxes across the board because the government needs to reserve funds to protect the city against economic fluctuation, the city’s financial chief said on Monday. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po dashed the hopes of the business community for cuts at the government’s first summit on taxation, which brought together 400 business people, accountants and civil servants who also heard a stark warning about tax compliance from an world economic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2116637/hong-kong-financial-chief-dashes-hopes-wide-ranging-tax-cuts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2116637/hong-kong-financial-chief-dashes-hopes-wide-ranging-tax-cuts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2017 13:42:02 +0000 The government’s HK$100 million plan to issue “electronic identification” for Hong Kong residents to allow easier access to online public and commercial services parallels a similar plan unveiled 17 years ago that never took off as hoped. The Post has learned that the new electronic ID is expected to be launched within two years. According to Secretary for Innovation and Technology Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung, the e-ID will allow Hongkongers easier access to online services offered by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2116393/hong-kong-roll-out-electronic-identification-two-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2116393/hong-kong-roll-out-electronic-identification-two-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2017 08:29:46 +0000 Homes, temples and businesses of Hong Kong’s Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities were draped in bright colours and lights on Thursday in celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights. Tens of thousands of Hong Kong’s Indian diaspora spent the day preparing for Diwali by buying food, confectionery, clothing and religious offerings as well as spending time in prayer. It was one of the busiest times of the tyear for the city’s Sikh and Hindu temples as worshippers filed in to light candles and diyas,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2116093/hong-kongs-indian-community-celebrates-annual-diwali?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2116093/hong-kongs-indian-community-celebrates-annual-diwali?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Oct 2017 06:41:35 +0000