https://www.scmp.com/rss/322888/feed Julia Hollingsworth was a reporter with the South China Morning Post. Before coming to SCMP, she studied Mandarin at Tsinghua University, Beijing, and worked in New Zealand as a general news reporter for Australian Associated Press. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A British banker serving a life sentence in Hong Kong for the gruesome murders of two Indonesian women is appealing against his conviction, in a startling turnaround to a case that made international headlines. Rurik Jutting told the court, when he was sentenced, that he had no plan to appeal his conviction over the 2014 killings. But his lawyer, Michael Vidler, confirmed a Post report on Wednesday that the Cambridge graduate lodged his appeal back in May. Vidler said the appeal would focus on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2113007/rurik-jutting-british-banker-jailed-over-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2113007/rurik-jutting-british-banker-jailed-over-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2017 04:15:30 +0000 The decision to grant a spousal visa to a gay woman has been welcomed by business groups and banks and heralded as a mood change on LGBT rights in Hong Kong – but it won’t affect the legal entitlement of same-sex couples to other benefits, according to experts. On Monday, the Court of Appeal unanimously ruled that a British expat, identified only as QT, would be given a dependant visa through her same-sex partner who works in Hong Kong – an immigration status previously granted only to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2112962/legal-entitlements-hong-kongs-same-sex-couples-unlikely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2112962/legal-entitlements-hong-kongs-same-sex-couples-unlikely?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2017 00:15:15 +0000 IF CHINA is indeed trying to influence domestic policy in Australia and New Zealand, as critics in both countries are claiming, its approach appears to be backfiring. Recent controversies regarding Chinese influence down under – including the revelation last week that the New Zealand MP Yang Jian had taught English to Chinese spies – have prompted discussions in both Canberra and Wellington on whether more should be done to protect policymakers and parliaments from foreign interference. Some... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2112473/spies-and-magic-weapon-why-are-australia-nz-so-suspicious-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2112473/spies-and-magic-weapon-why-are-australia-nz-so-suspicious-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Sep 2017 23:30:45 +0000 New Zealand’s next leader could be a young, whiskey loving woman who has been compared to both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US leader Donald Trump, but it’s her plans to tighten immigration rules that are likely to raise the most concern in China. With her large smile and impassioned speeches on child poverty and global warming, 37-year-old Jacinda Ardern has attracted plenty of attention since taking over the leadership of New Zealand’s opposition Labour Party just eight weeks out... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2112237/meet-jacinda-ardern-kiwi-trump-hoping-cut-chinese-immigration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2112237/meet-jacinda-ardern-kiwi-trump-hoping-cut-chinese-immigration?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Sep 2017 08:15:00 +0000 Hooters has paid off over HK$1 million in overdue rent, quashing fears the restaurant chain famous for hot girls and cold beer was about to go bust in Hong Kong, according to management. Earlier this month, the US brand faced legal action and eviction from its Lan Kwai Fong location after failing to pay almost HK$1.13 million in rent – around three months’ worth. But Hooters Asia president Daniel Yong put the fears to rest on Wednesday, telling the Post the company had paid off all its... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2112049/hooters-stay-open-hong-kong-after-paying-over-hk1-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2112049/hooters-stay-open-hong-kong-after-paying-over-hk1-million?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Sep 2017 09:45:09 +0000 If you felt like it was abnormally hot and wet in Hong Kong last month, you were right: the city sweltered through its hottest day on record and experienced 13 per cent more rain than usual thanks in part to two typhoons, according to the local forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory recorded the hottest temperature at its Tsim Sha Tsui headquarters since records began in 1880, with the mercury tipping 36.6 degrees Celsius on August 22. The mean daily temperature was 29.3 degrees – 0.7 degrees... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2111974/hong-kong-swelters-through-hottest-day-record-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2111974/hong-kong-swelters-through-hottest-day-record-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Sep 2017 04:45:46 +0000 Hong Kong students are less prepared than their peers in Singapore and South Korea for a future where technology will be king, migration will increase, and the environment will continue to worsen – and may lose out on jobs as a result, according to new research. Hong Kong came in 14th – behind Singapore, Japan and South Korea – in an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) index released on Tuesday, that assessed how well education systems prepare people aged 15 to 24 for the future. China came 31st... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2111903/hong-kong-not-equipping-students-future-well?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2111903/hong-kong-not-equipping-students-future-well?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Disasters seem to follow Lolita Hu Ching-fang. The Taiwanese-born novelist has lived in cities all over the world and wherever she goes, the bad luck has travelled with her. She was in current home Hong Kong during the 2003 Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak, in Sri Lanka for the 2004 tsunami, and in Tokyo for the 2011 magnitude 9 earthquake which left 18,000 dead or missing. “I have a friend who told me, wherever you’re going, I try not to be there,” Hu joked, looking distinctly... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2111048/lads-mags-disasters-and-cities-full-hermits-world-through?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2111048/lads-mags-disasters-and-cities-full-hermits-world-through?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Sep 2017 07:04:03 +0000 Hong Kong sweltered under scorching hot temperatures and battled poor air quality on Saturday with areas all around the city recording unhealthy pollution levels. By late afternoon, most areas around the city had air quality that posed a “serious” risk to health – the worst possible rating under the Environmental Protection Department’s index. When air quality is rated “serious”, the department recommends members of the public cut time outside to a minimum. The mercury crept up over 35 degrees... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2111471/hongkongers-told-guard-against-heatstroke-mercury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2111471/hongkongers-told-guard-against-heatstroke-mercury?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Sep 2017 05:00:00 +0000 Celine Tam Tsz-kwan may have been kicked out of America’s Got Talent, but it seems US television viewers haven’t seen the last of her yet. The nine-year-old Hong Kong singer took to the stage on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday, performing How Far I’ll Go from hit Disney movie Moana – the same song she sang in the semi-finals of the talent competition on Tuesday before she was sent home. “I was very excited to meet you,” Celine told host Ellen DeGeneres, as the pair hugged after her... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2111468/next-stop-ellen-degeneres-hong-kong-singer-celine-tam-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2111468/next-stop-ellen-degeneres-hong-kong-singer-celine-tam-after?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Sep 2017 04:19:17 +0000 The London School of Economics has reached out to Hong Kong authorities to check on the well-being of its student Alex Chow Yong-kang – currently serving time in a local jail for storming the government’s headquarters before the 2014 Occupy protests kicked off. Chow, 27, is studying for a master’s degree with the prestigious British university, but is serving a seven-month sentence for inciting others to take part in an unlawful assembly in September 2014. The illegal demonstration became a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2111358/london-school-economics-concerned-its-student-alex-chow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2111358/london-school-economics-concerned-its-student-alex-chow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Sep 2017 09:00:24 +0000 She can count her namesake Celine Dion as a fan and has captured the hearts of people the world over, but that was not enough to send nine-year-old Hong Kong singer Celine Tam Tsz-kwan to the America’s Got Talent finals. The child star’s dream run came to an end on Wednesday night, US time, when she found out on live television that she had not scored enough votes to make it to next week’s final. On Tuesday night, Celine won the admiration of notoriously tough judge Simon Cowell but copped... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2111103/fans-outraged-hong-kong-child-star-celine-tam-fails-reach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2111103/fans-outraged-hong-kong-child-star-celine-tam-fails-reach?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Sep 2017 01:15:45 +0000 The man behind the HK$950 bottles of Arctic glacier water stripped from a Hong Kong supermarket’s shelves has defended the product and says he hopes to sell 100,000 bottles a year. Last week, Svalbardi received a frosty reception with internet users slamming it as “totally environmentally unfriendly” and “stupid” when its products went on sale in Great Food Hall in Pacific Place, prompting the supermarket to take the item off shelves. It was about 19 times more expensive than a similarly sized S... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2111014/who-crazy-american-behind-svalbardis-hk950-iceberg?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2111014/who-crazy-american-behind-svalbardis-hk950-iceberg?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2017 09:00:15 +0000 Nine-year-old singer Celine Tam Tsz-kwan is hoping that her rendition of a Disney song will be enough to make her dream of reaching the finals of America’s Got Talent come true, after getting mixed reviews from the celebrity judging panel. The Hong Kong child star took to the talent contest stage for the fourth time on Tuesday night, local time, kicking off the semi-finals show with Auli’i Cravalho’s Oscar-nominated hit How Far I’ll Go, from the Disney movie Moana. “I wish I could be the perfect... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2110926/how-far-will-she-go-americas-got-talent-judges-give-mixed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2110926/how-far-will-she-go-americas-got-talent-judges-give-mixed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2017 02:15:30 +0000 Hongkongers are facing poor air and scorching heat ahead of more wet weather as a new typhoon brewing near the Philippines threatens to come within 400km of the city. On Tuesday the Environmental Protection Department recorded high levels of pollution. Central, Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok registered a “serious” rating – the worst on the air quality health index. Temperatures reached over 35 degrees Celsius in parts of the city, with Tseung Kwan O recording a high of 36.2... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2110803/new-typhoon-expected-bring-cloudy-weather-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2110803/new-typhoon-expected-bring-cloudy-weather-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Sep 2017 06:30:15 +0000 A woman who is believed to have intentionally thrown herself into a red-hot furnace at a Taoist temple died in hospital on Tuesday morning, Hong Kong authorities said. The 59-year-old woman died just after 6am in Queen Mary Hospital. She had been pulled out of the 2.5-metre deep-furnace at Yuen Yuen Institute – a Taoist temple in Tsuen Wan – on Sunday morning, and was taken to hospital in a coma. One of the three firefighters injured during the rescue operation is still in Prince of Wales... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2110783/woman-rescued-hong-kong-temple-furnace-dies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2110783/woman-rescued-hong-kong-temple-furnace-dies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Sep 2017 04:48:44 +0000 Bottles of water made from polar glaciers and selling for a cool HK$950 each have been pulled from the shelves of a high-end supermarket in Hong Kong, after an icy reaction online. Last week, Great Food Hall in Pacific Place in Admiralty copped criticism for stocking Svalbardi, a 750ml bottle of water which the company claims was sourced from the “purest icebergs”. It was about 19 times more expensive than a similar-sized S Pellegrino, the next most costly water in stock. The Svalbardi display... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2110720/hk950-bottled-water-made-polar-glaciers-pulled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2110720/hk950-bottled-water-made-polar-glaciers-pulled?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Cold drinks and hot women don’t seem to have been enough to keep Hooters well supported, with the American restaurant chain facing eviction from its sole Hong Kong site after failing to pay more than HK$1 million in rent, according to legal documents. But Hooters Asia – which runs the venue – remained perky about the restaurant’s prospects and insisted it still planned to open four more venues in Hong Kong in the future, despite the sole existing outlet only breaking even for the first time last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2110665/hooters-hong-kong-sees-figures-go-pear-shaped-landlord?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2110665/hooters-hong-kong-sees-figures-go-pear-shaped-landlord?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Sep 2017 08:30:12 +0000 Hong Kong’s whisky festival attracted two-thirds more fans than last year’s inaugural event, as more and more drinkers in the city become interested in slurping down a dram. Around 2,000 whisky lovers descended on Whisky Live in Kowloon on Saturday, sampling 400 whiskies from Scotland, Taiwan and Japan. The most expensive drop on offer was a Japanese single malt from Karuizawa distillery, which can cost about HK$30,000 for a 700ml bottle, said Nicholas Siu Nai-chi, executive director of Spirits... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2110482/hong-kong-whisky-festival-toasts-two-thirds-jump-attendance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2110482/hong-kong-whisky-festival-toasts-two-thirds-jump-attendance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Sep 2017 11:35:45 +0000 While nine-year-old Celine Tam Tsz-kwan charms millions around the world on a glitzy stage, her peers are training to be stars in a cramped studio back in Hong Kong. At Momo Casting Talent School in Ngau Tau Kok, bundles of energy zip around the room, their playful shrieks bouncing off the walls. Meanwhile a boy with a bowl cut sits obediently while an adult applies make-up to his face. The school has students from three to the age of 15. All want a shot at the international fame that pint-sized... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2110380/raising-star-hong-kong-fame-game-good-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2110380/raising-star-hong-kong-fame-game-good-children?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Sep 2017 01:01:57 +0000 The number of gyms in Hong Kong has grown 35.6 per cent in the past eight years thanks to an increased interest in looking good and feeling healthy – and experts expect the industry to continue flexing its muscle despite high-profile players going bust. But there are still too many trainers without qualifications, according to industry experts, and gyms need to set higher standards for themselves. There are currently 743 gyms in the city, up 35.58 per cent on 2009 when there were only 548,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2110219/hong-kong-sees-356-cent-growth-number-gyms-despite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2110219/hong-kong-sees-356-cent-growth-number-gyms-despite?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Sep 2017 12:06:21 +0000 While most daigou are overseas Chinese students or housewives buying products on a small scale for family and friends, there are also some non-Chinese people getting on board the booming industry. The most high-profile of these is Jessica Rudd, the daughter of former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, who sells organic infant products to middle-class Chinese families over retail platforms like Tmall and Taobao and is a vocal proponent of daigouselling. She runs a site called Jessica’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2109395/non-chinese-cashing-australias-booming-daigou-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2109395/non-chinese-cashing-australias-booming-daigou-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Sep 2017 02:32:34 +0000 In February, Guangxi native Alex Zhu came up with a new scheme to help her parents with her pricey tuition at one of Australia’s top universities. She started buying baby milk formula and health supplements in Australia to sell to her compatriots in mainland China, advertising her wares on WeChat, China’s most popular social networking platform. Now the 23-year-old Australian National University student is raking in between A$1,000 (HK$6,160) and A$2,000 a month – and plans to continue with her... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2109396/daigou-down-under-chinese-shopping-trend-taking-australia-storm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2109396/daigou-down-under-chinese-shopping-trend-taking-australia-storm?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Sep 2017 00:00:45 +0000 Hong Kong authorities urged the public to limit their time outdoors on Wednesday as severe pollution hit the city’s northern areas. The Environmental Protection Department recorded higher than normal pollution levels in the city, with air quality in both Tuen Mun and Yuen Long measuring over 10 for health risk – the most serious ranking. Air in a number of other areas – including Mong Kok and Tseun Wan – was rated as “very high” risk, the second highest ranking on the department’s Air Quality... https://www.scmp.com/weather/hong-kong/article/2108986/hong-kong-residents-told-limit-time-outdoors-serious-air-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/weather/hong-kong/article/2108986/hong-kong-residents-told-limit-time-outdoors-serious-air-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Aug 2017 08:47:12 +0000 Another tropical storm is brewing near the South China Sea but it is still too early to tell whether it will hit Hong Kong head-on, forecasters say. What is clear however is that Hongkongers can expect another weekend of poor weather due to the storm, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. Last week, Hong Kong Observatory issued a No 10 signal for Typhoon Hato – the strongest in the city’s typhoon warning system – bringing the city to a standstill. In nearby casino hub Macau, 10 people were... https://www.scmp.com/weather/article/2108827/more-bad-weather-way-another-tropical-storm-threatens-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/weather/article/2108827/more-bad-weather-way-another-tropical-storm-threatens-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Aug 2017 15:00:00 +0000 A 24-hour operation to rescue two mainland tourists who went hiking during a typhoon warning likely carried a price tag of more than HK$344,000 in staffing costs alone, according to estimates. A 31-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman ran into trouble on the difficult Kowloon Peak hike on Saturday, and had to be saved by 160 fire service personnel as Severe Tropical Storm Pakhar lashed the city. According to a source, the lowest ranked fire service officer has an hourly wage of HK$215, meaning... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2108670/cost-rescue-two-stranded-hikers-hong-kong-runs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2108670/cost-rescue-two-stranded-hikers-hong-kong-runs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Aug 2017 13:00:45 +0000 A rocky section of trail in Hong Kong dubbed “suicide cliff”, where two mainland Chinese tourists were stranded in a tropical storm over the weekend, is increasingly popular with travellers who underestimate the risks involved, according to hiking experts. The pair, aged 31 and 47, ran into trouble on Kowloon Peak on Saturday, and were rescued after an extensive operation involving 160 firefighters on Sunday. They had gone hiking after the Hong Kong Observatory issued a tropical cyclone warning... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2108611/hikers-underestimate-danger-suicide-cliff-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2108611/hikers-underestimate-danger-suicide-cliff-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Aug 2017 07:30:15 +0000 Forty-two landing attempts were aborted at Hong Kong International Airport between 7am and 7.30pm on Sunday as winds whipped up by Severe Tropical Storm Pakhar made conditions unsafe. A review by the Post of data from Flightradar24, which tracks commercial flight movements, found some aircraft tried two or even three times to make a safe touchdown, as crosswinds and wind shear, which exerts a turning force on aircraft, wreaked havoc on operations. Some pilots eventually opted to divert to other... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2108459/50-planes-stuck-hong-kong-international-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2108459/50-planes-stuck-hong-kong-international-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2017 04:30:00 +0000 PLA soldiers were seen rescuing four people trapped in a car stalled in high water at a Macau airport roundabout on Sunday, eliciting praise and gratitude online. The dramatic scene played out as the city faced serious flooding only days after the most powerful typhoon to hit the casino hub in half a century caused widespread destruction and left 10 people dead. Ieong Fong-tang, a coach driver, took a photo of three PLA soldiers stopping their jeep near a white car stranded in knee-high water... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2108456/chinese-soldiers-front-line-macau-faces-new-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2108456/chinese-soldiers-front-line-macau-faces-new-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2017 03:45:45 +0000 On the night of September 26, 2014, amid the glare of television cameras and floodlights, student leader Joshua Wong Chi-fung leapt onto a fence around ­government headquarters in ­Admiralty. As he curled his spindly legs around the metal bars, the sight of the bespectacled teenager with his floppy mop of hair valiantly trying to scale the three-metre-high barrier, along with fellow ­student leader Alex Chow Yong-kang, galvanised others into ­action. Another youth leader, Nathan Law Kwun-chung,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2108186/judiciary-dock-jailing-student-activists-opens-door-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2108186/judiciary-dock-jailing-student-activists-opens-door-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Aug 2017 00:00:15 +0000 After serving time behind bars for stealing HK$1 million from his company and losing his accounting credentials, Timothy Chan Hing-mo had little hope of ever working in the industry again. Now the 40-year-old Hongkonger is back to crunching numbers thanks to a social enterprise accounting firm, believed to be the first of its kind in the city. Prisoner rehabilitation is a job for Hong Kong’s community at large Chan works at Navigator Consultancy, a financing and asset management company with a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2107983/how-hong-kong-man-who-stole-million-dollars-and-went-jail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2107983/how-hong-kong-man-who-stole-million-dollars-and-went-jail?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Aug 2017 02:01:52 +0000 Pint-sized performer Celine Tam copped some criticism for her latest flower-themed performance, but the naysayers failed to derail her blossoming musical career. The nine-year-old singer from Hong Kong was sent through to the semi-finals of America’s Got Talent on Wednesday night, US time, after winning the hearts of the American public with a powerful ballad performed in a sparkly, rose-garden-inspired set. Celine clasped her hands over her face in excitement when she heard the news and said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2108033/us-viewers-send-hong-kong-songbird-celine-tam-9?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2108033/us-viewers-send-hong-kong-songbird-celine-tam-9?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Aug 2017 01:15:15 +0000 Pint-sized songbird Celine Tam’s speedy ascent to fame looked unstoppable, but on a stage decorated to look like a glittering rose garden, she hit her first snag. The nine-year-old singer from Hong Kong took to the America’s Got Talent stage for the third time on Tuesday night, US time, this time singing live to air. Her performances have won plaudits from judges and international fans alike, but on Tuesday’s show, judge and former Spice Girl Mel B questioned if the Whitney Houston and Mariah... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2107899/end-nine-year-old-hong-kong-singer-celine-tams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2107899/end-nine-year-old-hong-kong-singer-celine-tams?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Aug 2017 01:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong recorded its highest temperature of the year for the second time on Monday, with the mercury soaring to 37.7 degrees Celsius in some areas, matching last month’s maximum as the city braced itself for more scorching weather. Hong Kong Observatory scientific officer Lee Yiu-fai said the city was likely to experience similarly hot conditions on Tuesday, with showers later in the day. Meanwhile, Tropical Cyclone Hato – which is currently about 1,000km east-southeast of the city – is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2107651/hong-kong-swelters-under-heat-one-hottest-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2107651/hong-kong-swelters-under-heat-one-hottest-days?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2017 09:00:30 +0000 A growing number of fatal car crashes involving tourists in New Zealand, including those from Hong Kong, has sparked calls for stricter traffic rules in the popular holiday destination. According to the New Zealand Ministry of Transport, up to 37 per cent of accidents between 2011 and 2015 in Westland District of the South Island were caused by foreign nationals. Countrywide, an average of 6 per cent of accidents in this period were caused by foreigners. Last year, at least 25 people died in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2107468/should-tourists-new-zealand-including-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2107468/should-tourists-new-zealand-including-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Aug 2017 08:30:45 +0000 Singer-songwriter Hanjin Tan stands on a footpath in a rundown industrial estate in Hong Kong, smiling and gazing skyward for the camera. A tradesman holding a beer looks on, clearly bemused by the scene. Tan has had time to perfect his poses. The Singaporean-born musician, who now calls Hong Kong home, has done everything over the course of his 15-year career from performing live shows and producing songs with big names like Hong Kong singer Eason Chan and American songstress Christina Aguilera... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2107379/singaporean-singer-songwriter-who-took-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2107379/singaporean-singer-songwriter-who-took-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Aug 2017 07:03:12 +0000 Hongkongers are being advised to take note of the risks of self-driving holidays in Australia as statistics show that a higher proportion of the city’s tourists opt to drive than other foreign visitors. In a report published in 2015, Tasmania’s Department of State Growth found a quarter of all international visitors to Australia used a private car to get around. But for Hongkongers, almost half of the 219,527 who visited Australia in the 12 months to March chose to drive. That proportion has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2107458/more-and-more-hong-kong-tourists-driving-around?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2107458/more-and-more-hong-kong-tourists-driving-around?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Aug 2017 06:00:35 +0000 The start of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s term has been marred by political controversies, but they have not dented her popularity with the public, according to a new survey. The results released on Tuesday found 52 per cent of Hongkongers had confidence in the city’s top official – two percentage points higher than her score in a similar survey two weeks earlier. But the proportion of Hongkongers who were unsatisfied with Lam grew two percentage points also, with 37... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2106909/popularity-and-dissatisfaction-rise-hong-kong-leader-carrie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2106909/popularity-and-dissatisfaction-rise-hong-kong-leader-carrie?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2017 10:30:52 +0000 The most startling pieces of “evidence” produced by Hong Kong activist Howard Lam Tsz-kin during his account of how he was allegedly abducted and abused by mainland Chinese agents were the rows of bloodied crosses made by staples punched into his thighs. At a press conference, Lam hitched up his bermudas to show 21 staples driven into the flesh, which he said were the handiwork of his torturers. They had done the crosses because he was well-known for sharing his Christian faith on his Facebook... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2106855/body-stapling-cry-help-or-silly-bragging-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2106855/body-stapling-cry-help-or-silly-bragging-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2017 06:15:00 +0000 The “cute factor” has helped nine-year-old singing sensation Celine Tam Tsz-kwan win hearts around the world, but she’ll have stiff competition to be most adorable when she faces off against at least five other primary school-age stars in the next stage of America’s Got Talent. The pint-sized star is through to the live shows on the US television talent show, where she will compete against 35 other acts, including magicians, dance troupes and even a Donald Trump impersonator. But there are other... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2106049/hong-kong-singing-sensation-celine-tam-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2106049/hong-kong-singing-sensation-celine-tam-take?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Aug 2017 05:00:15 +0000 Last month, 20-year-old saleswoman Mandy noticed posts from an Instagram account that promised to pay up to HK$30,000 the first day anyone joined a programme. Details were scant, but the programme was billed as “absolutely not illegal or sexual”. Cash-strapped, Mandy – not her real name – contacted the person running the Instagram account, Ryan. She was escorted by Ryan’s colleague, Kelvin, to four money lenders to borrow a total of about HK$250,000 in cash. She handed over all the money to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2106023/i-was-told-borrow-hk250000-one-victims-story-plus-tips-foil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2106023/i-was-told-borrow-hk250000-one-victims-story-plus-tips-foil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Aug 2017 02:51:00 +0000 Few can resist the lure of a good deal, an easy profit, and Hongkongers pride themselves on having a keen eye for a bargain. Yet while everyone knows the danger of internet and phone crime, barely a week goes by without another high-profile scam being reported, from the recent case of a 23-year-old woman duped by fake immigration officers into handing over her parents’ HK$1 million life savings, to lonely hearts looking for relationships online but ending up being swindled by phoney... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2105983/why-hongkongers-are-easy-prey-new-breed-con-artist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2105983/why-hongkongers-are-easy-prey-new-breed-con-artist?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Aug 2017 00:03:11 +0000 America’s Got Talent contestant Celine Tam Tsz-kwan can count international A-listers among her fans, but offstage the Hongkonger appears to be just a regular, energetic nine-year-old who loves eating chicken, hanging out with her sister and watching the Minions from the Despicable Me movies. Celine and her three-year-old sister, Dion, played guessing games with fans, showed off their toys and sang songs during an hour-long live video session filmed in Hong Kong that was posted across her social... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2105787/hong-kong-singer-celine-tam-9-and-sister-3-charm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2105787/hong-kong-singer-celine-tam-9-and-sister-3-charm?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Aug 2017 08:15:30 +0000 Hongkongers were forced to break out their umbrellas more than usual last month, with tropical storms bringing in 50 per cent more rain than usual. The city got 570mm of rain compared with the average monthly rainfall of 376.5mm for July, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. There was also less blue sky last month, with 10 per cent more cloud than average and 49.1 fewer bright sunshine hours, according to the city’s official forecaster. Mike Cheung Sze-yuen, an experimental officer at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2105102/wet-july-make-way-even-wetter-august-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2105102/wet-july-make-way-even-wetter-august-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Aug 2017 07:31:44 +0000 Pint-sized Hong Kong singer Celine Tam Tsz-kwan will be heading to the next stage of America’s Got Talent after adding a popular US actress to her growing list of fans. Wearing a gold dress, the nine-year-old star with a huge voice belted out Michael Bolton’s 1983 ballad How Am I Supposed To Live Without You during the show on Tuesday, local time. Guest judge and Orange Is the New Black actress Laverne Cox was so impressed that she used her single “golden buzzer” to send Celine straight through... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2105043/hong-kong-singing-sensation-celine-tam-9-advances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2105043/hong-kong-singing-sensation-celine-tam-9-advances?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Aug 2017 02:00:45 +0000 The number of dogs taken in by the authorities after biting incidents peaked last year, Hong Kong government data shows. In the 2015-16 financial year, 2,293 stray dogs were caught, 596 dogs were taken in for observation following biting incidents and 710 prosecutions were launched, according to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. It’s dog eat dog as China declares war on man’s best friend ... and his owner Although the number of prosecutions and stray dogs caught have both... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2104613/number-hong-kong-dogs-taken-observation-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2104613/number-hong-kong-dogs-taken-observation-after?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jul 2017 14:47:44 +0000 Hongkongers continue to have the highest life expectancy in the world, surpassing Japan’s men and women for the second consecutive year, according to the Japanese government. The city topped the charts for longevity after taking the crown last year, with men expected to live to 81.32 years, while women are expected to reach 87.34 years, based on newly released rankings from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Japan’s men and women came in second, with a life expectancy of 80.98 and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2104584/hongkongers-top-life-expectancy-rankings-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2104584/hongkongers-top-life-expectancy-rankings-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jul 2017 04:15:45 +0000 Hongkongers can expect another scorching hot weekend as a severe tropical storm heads towards southern China. On Friday, the mercury soared to 34.4 degrees Celsius, the hottest temperature of the year and the second time this week the city has recorded that high, an Observatory spokeswoman said. “We expect that weather to persist over the weekend,” she said, noting that temperatures could reach up to 34 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday due to warm winds from the north. The city’s official... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2104518/hong-kong-expected-feel-heat-over-weekend-tropical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2104518/hong-kong-expected-feel-heat-over-weekend-tropical?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jul 2017 09:36:37 +0000 When City University made public last week a study on the cost of crime in Hong Kong, it was believed to be the first of its kind in Asia. But many places outside Asia have already been totting up their numbers. Crime cost the city HK$67 billion last year, or about 2.79 per cent of GDP – and lead researcher Eric Chui Wing-hong said that was a conservative estimate. The study covered legal procedures, rehabilitation and crime prevention measures, but did not include the Correctional Services... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2104379/why-rehab-pays-crime-costs-world-billions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2104379/why-rehab-pays-crime-costs-world-billions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jul 2017 01:03:42 +0000 In the United Kingdom’s newest and largest prison, inmates use laptops and do their own weekly shopping. In Norway, prisoners can ski, cook, tend to farm animals and spend time on their own private beach. Their routines are a far cry from the more regimented incarceration system in Hong Kong, where inmates had to fight last week to be allowed to play with stray cats. Tong Fuk Correctional Institution gave in after originally saying the felines would have to go, apparently due to arguments they... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2104399/can-hong-kong-break-its-prison-shackles-cut-crime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2104399/can-hong-kong-break-its-prison-shackles-cut-crime?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jul 2017 00:00:45 +0000