https://www.scmp.com/rss/322766/feed Lauren Chan is an intern for the local news desk. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Thapa was only 16 when he first started abusing ‘brown sugar’ - an adulterated form of heroin - in Nepal. He came to Hong Kong in 2004 to reunite with family, but pressured by peers and feeling disenfranchised by his experience as a member of an ethnic minority in the city, Thapa turned to heroin. He was only 18. “Before, I had no meaning to my life,” he said. Thapa’s story is not unique in the Nepalese community. Drug abuse among ethnic minorities in the city has been on the rise since... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2047341/hong-kongs-lack-rehabilitation-services-leave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2047341/hong-kongs-lack-rehabilitation-services-leave?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Nov 2016 02:02:43 +0000 Despite many Hongkongers’ ­affinity for staying healthy and ­active, finding a nutritious meal at one of the city’s many restaurants may prove to be a difficult task. A recent study from Polytechnic University, which surveyed 401 Hongkongers and 305 restaurants, concluded that 60 per cent of eateries did not offer enough substantial healthy food options. The study found 65 per cent of respondents aged between 15 and 59 years old ate out four or more days a week, and a third ate out every... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2007914/eating-out-hong-kong-tonight-youll-be-lucky-find?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2007914/eating-out-hong-kong-tonight-youll-be-lucky-find?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Aug 2016 09:00:00 +0000 A higher number of accountants earn more than HK$600,000 a year, but job opportunities are likely to shrink as fewer companies want to hire due to a poor economic outlook, according to survey findings by Hong Kong’s accountant watchdog. The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, which polled about 3,600 members in March, found nearly one in two got HK$50,000 a month, with the number of such earners up six percentage points from last year. But getting a job in the industry will... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2007536/more-hong-kong-accountants-are-taking-home-higher-salary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2007536/more-hong-kong-accountants-are-taking-home-higher-salary?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:43:51 +0000 While the rest of the city hunkers down for another possible round of strong winds and rain, typhoon signal No 1 means nothing to some students, who are queueing days outdoors to get discounts at this week’s computer festival. The eight-day IT Fest features electronics at massive discounts, but some only available to the first few in line on Tuesday and this Friday, depending on the particular item. Hence the days of advanced queuing for these eager students. There are still five good reasons to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2005105/it-festival-sees-students-queue-outdoors-days-advance-massive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2005105/it-festival-sees-students-queue-outdoors-days-advance-massive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000 The first ever feature film based on the 1967 riots, produced by a former leftist student who was jailed during those tumultuous months, is slated to hit screens by the end of this year. May Days will blend politics and romance, in a low-budget production its director claims will be “100 per cent locally made”. Director Lai Man-cheuk’s creation explores one of the most controversial and defining periods in the city’s history. Inspired by the Cultural Revolution which erupted on the mainland a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2000981/man-jailed-1967-riots-produce-film-about-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2000981/man-jailed-1967-riots-produce-film-about-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Aug 2016 12:49:43 +0000 German architect Chris Bosse has brought a piece of the Olympics to Hong Kong by installing a replica of Beijing’s famed Water Cube indoor swimming pool in one of the city’s busiest malls. Coinciding with the Rio Olympics, which start Friday, Bosse designed a 32-panel replica of the honeycomb walls of the Water Cube. The piece, named “Sportivation In Town”, has been installed inside New Town Plaza shopping centre in Sha Tin. The panels form a canopy over a 2.5 metre-long LED display, which will... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1997781/beijings-iconic-water-cube-comes-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1997781/beijings-iconic-water-cube-comes-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Aug 2016 10:59:33 +0000 Schools bosses said on Friday they would ask the makers of Pokemon Go not to put any of the game’s virtual creatures inside campuses and in nearby areas to avoid affecting pupils’ education. That followed an appeal from the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers to protect children from the dangers of playing the game around school. Since it was released on Monday, the augmented reality smartphone game has taken the city by storm. Players use their phones’ GPS and camera to hunt for virtual... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1996627/get-your-pokemon-out-our-schools-say-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1996627/get-your-pokemon-out-our-schools-say-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jul 2016 12:24:39 +0000 This year’s ani-com fair has a particular Hong Kong flavour, with a million Lego pieces yielding landscapes of Central and Chek Lap Kok airport, and a two-metre Monkey King made of balloons. The 18th annual Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong fair opened its doors at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday and runs until Tuesday. It features 608 stalls from around 70 exhibitors. Visitors can get their hands on unreleased games and products from PlayStation and Xbox, while checking out... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1996152/lego-landscapes-and-balloon-monkey-king-loom-large-hong-kong-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1996152/lego-landscapes-and-balloon-monkey-king-loom-large-hong-kong-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jul 2016 12:46:58 +0000 Octopus’ contactless e-wallet has not gone down well with users, who expressed surprise at the lack of incentives to motivate Apple users to adopt the new feature and said rival operators offered better payment methods. Users who want to take their Octopus cards online must download an ­Octopus app, pay HK$228 for a card reader and pair it via Bluetooth with an iPhone, Apple Watch or iPad. But online user “Joseph Lau2” complained that it cost “two hundred something, who is willing to pay?” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1995689/octopus-e-wallet-lagging-rival-technology-hong-kong-apple?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1995689/octopus-e-wallet-lagging-rival-technology-hong-kong-apple?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jul 2016 13:12:17 +0000 The e-wallet battle is heating up, after Hong Kong’s dominant ­Octopus cards announced on Tuesday an app for Apple devices to be launched on Wednesday, a week after ­Apple Pay went live in the city. To use the system, Hongkongers will need to download an ­Octopus app, buy an Octopus card reader for HK$228 and pair the card reader via Bluetooth with an iPhone, Apple Watch or iPad. Apple tightly guards its security and proprietary technology used for its digital wallet and mobile payment service,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1995055/hong-kongs-octopus-set-launch-e-wallet-app-apple-devices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1995055/hong-kongs-octopus-set-launch-e-wallet-app-apple-devices?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Jul 2016 09:44:21 +0000 One lucky winner claimed the HK$108 million Mark Six first prize after spending just HK$10 on half a ticket. The total turnover for Friday’s draw reached HK$195 million, as punters tried their luck for the massive jackpot, collected from the previous eight draws that had had no first prize winners. About 50 people queued up on Friday morning to be among the first to try their luck at the night's Mark Six HK$100 million windfall. A mix of young and old, men and women, waited outside the Stanley... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1993236/half-ticket-scoops-hk108-million-mark-six-jackpot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1993236/half-ticket-scoops-hk108-million-mark-six-jackpot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jul 2016 06:02:41 +0000 Hong Kong is already in the grip of a heatwave, but if Friday was particularly sweltering it was because parts of the city experienced the hottest “Great Heat” day in 44 years. “Great Heat” is a term from the traditional Chinese calendar for the day, usually at the end of July, that marks the hottest time of the year. The average temperature surged to 32.9 degrees Celsius on Friday, but the mercury in some districts such as Sheung Shui and Tai Po soared above 35 degrees. Hong Kong Observatory... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1993192/hong-kong-swelters-under-hottest-great-heat-day-44?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1993192/hong-kong-swelters-under-hottest-great-heat-day-44?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jul 2016 05:00:15 +0000 Antony Leung Kam-chung, a former financial secretary and a possible contestant in the race to become Hong Kong’s next chief executive, has recommended children read Bible stories because “they teach children moral values and how to think through difficult problems”. At the annual seven-day Hong Kong Book Fair, which opened on Wednesday, Leung also encouraged secondary school students to read widely outside their subjects. Banned books on sale here: Hong Kong book fair will openly sell... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1992364/read-bible-stories-advice-children-possible-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1992364/read-bible-stories-advice-children-possible-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jul 2016 00:01:49 +0000 Parents are snapping up children’s story and exercise books at this year’s book fair, with those aimed at kindergarten students proving increasingly popular. The bestsellers are exercises for primary school children from KEA Learning International, one of dozens of publishers at the fair targeting children so young they don’t even know how to use chopsticks and pens. “Sales of kindergarten exercises have greatly increased in the past one or two years,” Lee Wing-lam, manager at the KEA stall,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1992271/too-young-chopsticks-old-enough-homework-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1992271/too-young-chopsticks-old-enough-homework-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jul 2016 08:12:25 +0000 The “winning at the starting line” mentality has become so ingrained in local parents’ minds that many were spotted snapping up workbooks for children as young as kindergarten age at the Hong Kong Book Fair, which opened on Wednesday. Dozens of publishers at the fair targeted parents with children so young they do not even know how to use chopsticks and pens. The annual book fair, which runs until Tuesday, is one of the largest in the world, featuring local and international publishers. While... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1992227/controversy-cooking-and-cats-hong-kong-book-fair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1992227/controversy-cooking-and-cats-hong-kong-book-fair?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jul 2016 06:30:45 +0000 Hongkongers are more willing than ever to battle the city’s ­unpleasant food waste problem, if only homes were equipped with recycling points. Some 66 per cent of residents make no attempt to reduce or ­recycle food waste, according to a survey conducted by the Green Council, a local non-government organisation. This is mainly ­because only around 5 per cent of residential properties have food recycling schemes. Pollution, food waste and heavy traffic: what Hong Kong’s chief executive should... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1991463/just-give-us-chance-89pc-hongkongers-would-recycle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1991463/just-give-us-chance-89pc-hongkongers-would-recycle?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jul 2016 00:02:32 +0000 The number of Chinese white dolphins has dropped from 25 to just 10 in the northern waters of Lantau in the past year, with marine experts identifying the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge as the main culprit. According to figures acquired by WWF Hong Kong from a not yet released Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) report - between April 2015 and March 2016, the total estimated number of white dolphins in Hong Kong dropped by a quarter from 87 to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1990312/experts-blame-hong-kong-zhuhai-macau-bridge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1990312/experts-blame-hong-kong-zhuhai-macau-bridge?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jul 2016 00:03:59 +0000 Many children are expected to spend as much time studying this summer as on activities with parents due to long working hours, according to a study released on Tuesday. Interviews with 528 parents of primary school children over the past month have shown that while 48 per cent expect their children to study for up to seven hours a week, almost the same proportion – 45 per cent – plan to spend less than seven hours a week on family time. More worryingly, 19 per cent of parents planned to set... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1988995/all-work-and-no-play-hong-kong-kids-miss-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1988995/all-work-and-no-play-hong-kong-kids-miss-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jul 2016 10:03:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s public transport sector is facing a manpower shortage, with the city’s passenger ferries being the hardest hit as working conditions become increasingly unattractive to youngsters. Bearing the brunt of the manpower crisis, Star Ferry is facing an ageing workforce due to an inability to retain young recruits for more than a few months. The average age of a sailor is now 54 – and 58 for a coxswain. Hong Kong transport workers and lawmaker cite Competition Ordinance in complaint that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1988005/hong-kong-youngsters-shy-away-transport-jobs-ferries-facing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1988005/hong-kong-youngsters-shy-away-transport-jobs-ferries-facing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Jul 2016 10:14:36 +0000 Pollution levels across Hong Kong hit the government’s highest rating on one of the hottest days of the year on Friday thanks to severe typhoon Nepartak. Murk and haze obscured the view across Victoria Harbour as air quality indicators at pollution monitoring stations clocked the highest “serious” category at all sites except the remote island of Tap Mun off Sai Kung, which registered a “very high” reading. “The intense sunshine enhances photochemical smog activities and the formation of ozone,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1987296/pollution-levels-hit-highest-level-typhoon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1987296/pollution-levels-hit-highest-level-typhoon?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Jul 2016 00:00:30 +0000 Resistance from residents due to misconceived fears of the mentally ill has meant that only 14 out of 24 community mental health wellness centres set up in Hong Kong since 2010 have found permanent sites. The Equal Opportunities Commission – a statutory body set up to implement discrimination ordinances – released the study findings yesterday, and also recommended that the government allow it to take legal action against discriminatory acts in its own name on behalf of victims, and for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1986864/counselling-fast-food-restaurant-fear-mentally-ill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1986864/counselling-fast-food-restaurant-fear-mentally-ill?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jul 2016 00:02:35 +0000 The waiting time for total knee replacement surgery has been cut from 56 months to just 15 at the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital in Tai Po following the opening of a dedicated joint replacement centre there in October. Such operations were previously available there, but the new centre provides a specialist service. It became the fourth such centre in the city, after Buddhist, Yan Chai and Pok Oi hospitals. A fifth joint replacement centre at the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital opened... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1984870/relief-offered-hong-kong-osteoarthritis-patients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1984870/relief-offered-hong-kong-osteoarthritis-patients?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Jul 2016 10:20:53 +0000 Hong Kong’s top official paid tribute on Friday to two firemen who died fighting an inferno in an industrial building last week and described the fire as “a heavy lesson in fire safety”. In his speech commemorating the 19th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying also recounted the administration’s successes in tackling the city’s housing shortage and vowed to continue focusing on economic development in the coming year. Everything you need to know about Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1984153/hong-kong-chief-executive-lauds-bravery-two-firemen-who-died?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1984153/hong-kong-chief-executive-lauds-bravery-two-firemen-who-died?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jul 2016 12:59:26 +0000 In his speech commemorating the 19th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from the British back to China, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying paid tribute to the two firemen who died fighting an industrial building inferno that blazed for more than four days. During his roughly seven-minute address at the reception after the annual flag-raising ceremony on Friday morning, Leung also recounted the administration’s successes in keeping inflation at bay and unemployment down, as well as being able to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1983898/deepest-grief-cy-leung-pays-tribute-two-dead-firemen-july-1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1983898/deepest-grief-cy-leung-pays-tribute-two-dead-firemen-july-1?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jul 2016 03:15:15 +0000 A student with autism can’t take his eyes off a robot as it looks around in wonder, puts its hand on its hips and rubs its tummy. And when the childlike robot asks which gesture expresses anger, the student confidently picks out the right one. This isn’t just fun and games, Lam Wai-lok, currently in year five, is learning hand gestures crucial for everyday communication, and part of a programme that employs “social robots” to improve the ability of autistic schoolchildren to recognise and use... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1983179/friendly-gestures-robots-inspire-autistic-children-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1983179/friendly-gestures-robots-inspire-autistic-children-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jun 2016 10:56:46 +0000 The taxi trade has warned of ­drastic action to oppose plans to introduce premium cabs to the citythrough franchises, as ­transport minister Professor ­Anthony Cheung Bing-leung sticks to his guns over the trial scheme despite a protest by cabbies at government headquarters yesterday. Ng Kwan-sing, spokesman for a group opposed to the government move, said taxi drivers could not rule out the possibility of further action such as blocking Hong Kong International Airport. The warning came as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1978403/hong-kong-taxi-drivers-threaten-blockade-airport-over-luxury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1978403/hong-kong-taxi-drivers-threaten-blockade-airport-over-luxury?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jun 2016 04:12:38 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader yesterday promised he would write to Beijing to officially register public concerns about the bookseller controversy, making it a matter of importance on the record for the city and central governments. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying also undertook to improve the notification system between police on both sides, and send delegates across the border to follow up if necessary. Booksellers: claims vs counter-claims Responding for the first time to returned bookseller Lam... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1977930/delegations-notifications-and-formal-letter-cy-leungs-three?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1977930/delegations-notifications-and-formal-letter-cy-leungs-three?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jun 2016 02:45:15 +0000 Amid the rising popularity of ride-hailing apps in Hong Kong, local taxi drivers are using the mobile technology to enhance convenience and choice for customers in a tough market. On Thursday the Post sampled HKTaxi, one of the city’s most popular taxi apps. Ordering a cab proved fruitful as a red urban taxi arrived within minutes of pressing the app’s call button. With apps like HKTaxi, drivers no longer have to wait for a hailing pedestrian. Drivers can decide which customers to pick up,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1976869/taxi-hong-kong-cabbies-turn-ride-hailing-apps-pick-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1976869/taxi-hong-kong-cabbies-turn-ride-hailing-apps-pick-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jun 2016 08:59:59 +0000 Main Street and the signature space in front of the castle at Hong Kong Disneyland were deserted on Thursday morning – not due to a lack of visitors, but because of unwelcome downpours. Compared to the rainy debut of its Shanghai counterpart, which saw hundreds of visitors queuing up five hours ahead of the 10.30am official opening, the city’s park did not fare badly. When the Post visited the Lantau attraction on Thursday morning, the wait for a ticket was about 15 minutes. Hundreds queue for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1976197/shorter-lines-more-fun-hong-kong-disneyland-still-draws-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1976197/shorter-lines-more-fun-hong-kong-disneyland-still-draws-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jun 2016 07:18:32 +0000 The first batch of rubbish bins with smaller openings and bigger warning notices was introduced to the busier districts of Hong Kong on Monday morning. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department hopes these new bins will reduce the problem of people placing oversized rubbish in, around and on top of them. About 800 bins will be replaced in the first phase. But people the Post spoke to on Monday around Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai and along Nathan Road were not particularly thrilled. “It’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1974447/trash-talk-new-rubbish-bins-smaller-openings-get?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1974447/trash-talk-new-rubbish-bins-smaller-openings-get?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jun 2016 08:45:30 +0000 Scores of paddlers clashed on the waterways in glorious sunshine on Thursday morning as they kicked-off the annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival. Across the city, centuries-old traditions returned with events scattered from Tai O to Aberdeen, Stanley to Sha Tin, with hordes of chanting onlookers and sweating participants bracing themselves for the tough competition and searing conditions. Fortunately, coastal breezes and occasional showers made this year’s event a much cooler one, though the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1970369/hong-kong-dragon-boat-festival-kicks-blaze-colour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1970369/hong-kong-dragon-boat-festival-kicks-blaze-colour?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jun 2016 04:30:15 +0000