https://www.scmp.com/rss/327779/feed Kanis is a reporter for the City desk. She joined the Post in 2018. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Award-winning Hong Kong director Kiwi Chow Kwun-wai made headlines when his latest documentary was screened at the Cannes Film Festival last month, but the recognition prompted an investor to withdraw from his next film. The 2½-hour Revolution of Our Times takes its title from a slogan used widely during the anti-government protests of 2019 and which the authorities have since labelled a pro-independence rallying call. The film records how frontline demonstrators operated on the ground during... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3146227/hong-kong-creative-industry-shrouded-worries-and-fears-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3146227/hong-kong-creative-industry-shrouded-worries-and-fears-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Aug 2021 00:00:22 +0000 Hong Kong authorities are tightening their grip on the screening of films with a series of censorship law amendments that will include empowering the city’s No 2 official to ban previously approved productions if they are deemed threats to national security. The impending changes to the Film Censorship Ordinance will also require official censors to assess the impact of a production on national security in the approval process, while the maximum penalty for unauthorised screenings will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3146173/national-security-law-hong-kong-censorship-law-changes-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3146173/national-security-law-hong-kong-censorship-law-changes-open?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Aug 2021 08:38:53 +0000 Domestic helpers vaccinated against the coronavirus in the Philippines could be able to fly to Hong Kong as soon as next week, as “fruitful” talks on recognising inoculation records from the country near completion, Manila’s top diplomat in the city has revealed. Philippine Consul General Raly Tejada told the Post on Sunday that his country would be ready to enable people vaccinated there to travel to Hong Kong from August 30, probably through the use of a special “yellow card” verifying their... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145946/coronavirus-domestic-helpers-vaccinated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145946/coronavirus-domestic-helpers-vaccinated?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Aug 2021 10:50:14 +0000 Hong Kong authorities are expected to reveal arrangements for recognising Covid-19 vaccination records from the Philippines and Indonesia as early as next week, paving the way for thousands of domestic helpers to arrive from the high-risk countries. But an employment agency trade group warned of potential delays if the city did not prepare enough quarantine hotels to serve the influx, estimating around 2,000 workers were ready to fly into the city. In a reply to the Post on Saturday, the Labour... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145897/coronavirus-hong-kong-makes-good-progress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145897/coronavirus-hong-kong-makes-good-progress?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Aug 2021 10:49:53 +0000 Travellers needing to book three weeks of hotel quarantine in Hong Kong will probably have to wait until mid-September for availability, according to a Post analysis, after the sudden imposition of stricter rules triggered a scramble for rooms at designated facilities. But high demand has prompted the government to request that the existing hotel network make hundreds more rooms available to the travelling public, providing a glimmer of hope to those overseas and struggling to enter the city. Of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145850/coronavirus-hong-kongs-21-day-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145850/coronavirus-hong-kongs-21-day-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Aug 2021 14:23:50 +0000 Uber has acquired HKTaxi, Hong Kong’s most popular cab app, in a move that will push the United States-based ride-hailing service even deeper into the local market. The move gives Uber – which itself is not considered legal by the city government – control of an app with access to more than 70,000 registered cab drivers, made up of active, dormant and part-time workers. Since launching in 2013, HKTaxi has been downloaded more than 2 million times. The financial terms of the deal were not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3145758/uber-takes-another-big-step-hong-kong-cab-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3145758/uber-takes-another-big-step-hong-kong-cab-market?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Aug 2021 06:13:33 +0000 Hong Kong revealed on Thursday that a joint decision with Singapore to drop all plans for a much-anticipated travel bubble was based on their differing approaches to the Covid-19 pandemic, a development that tourism figures said reflected the increasing challenges of striking such deals. But the city state will begin admitting short-term visitors from Hong Kong and Macau without requiring them to quarantine starting on August 26, despite the measure not being reciprocated. Singapore citizens,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3145691/hong-kong-singapore-travel-bubble-differing-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3145691/hong-kong-singapore-travel-bubble-differing-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Aug 2021 13:46:34 +0000 The head of finance at Hong Kong’s arts hub authority stepped down on Wednesday in the latest upheaval to the top ranks of the troubled organisation. The departure of Kitty Fung Kit-yi from the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority came less than a month after the chief project officer left. Combined with two new senior roles, the statutory body now has four critical positions to fill just months before the city’s flagship M+ museum is expected to open. Artistic director Alison Friedman... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3145544/hong-kongs-troubled-arts-hub-dealt-fresh-blow-head?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3145544/hong-kongs-troubled-arts-hub-dealt-fresh-blow-head?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Aug 2021 16:00:09 +0000 A decision by Shenzhen authorities to partially relax quarantine measures for Hongkongers met with a mixed response on Wednesday, despite some travellers now being allowed to spend half of their two-week isolation period at home. The policy change across the border, which requires visitors to have a dwelling authorities deem suitable for isolation purposes, marks mainland China’s first relaxation of border restrictions with Hong Kong. But while some hailed it as a step in the right direction,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145513/coronavirus-shenzhen-plan-relax-quarantine-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145513/coronavirus-shenzhen-plan-relax-quarantine-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Aug 2021 11:34:30 +0000 Hong Kong’s quarantine hotels were struggling to accommodate customer bookings after the government announced plans to tighten Covid-19 isolation rules, with different sectors calling for more rooms to be made available. Travellers also vented their anger in social media groups on Tuesday, with their ire focused on the impact on travel bookings and quarantine times. The sudden policy change has moved 15 more countries, including the United States and France, onto a list of high-risk countries... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145328/coronavirus-hong-kong-hotels-left-struggling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145328/coronavirus-hong-kong-hotels-left-struggling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Aug 2021 08:13:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s position as a shopping paradise will be threatened if neighbouring Shenzhen goes ahead with a mooted duty-free shopping area that would target mainlanders in the Greater Bay Area, analysts and retail industry leaders have warned. Some said mainland Chinese visitors – who made up nearly 80 per cent of Hong Kong’s overall tourist arrivals before the Covid-19 pandemic – would prefer getting their luxury goods and cosmetics in the Guangdong city if tax policies there were relaxed. “If... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3145037/hong-kong-retailers-get-shivers-shenzhen-explores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3145037/hong-kong-retailers-get-shivers-shenzhen-explores?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Aug 2021 05:30:14 +0000 Hong Kong is “very likely” to tighten quarantine measures as health experts will discuss the issue on Monday, a government pandemic adviser revealed after a woman who completed her seven-day isolation period was later found to be carrying a more infectious coronavirus variant. The 38-year-old domestic helper, who works in Stanley and carried the L452R mutant strain, was one of two new imported cases confirmed on Saturday. Both patients, who arrived separately from the United States, were fully... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145036/coronavirus-domestic-helper-who-tested-positive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3145036/coronavirus-domestic-helper-who-tested-positive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Aug 2021 04:26:17 +0000 The strong response to Hong Kong’s consumption voucher scheme could boost the local economy by as much as 6 per cent in the third quarter year on year, with more than 96 per cent of eligible residents expected to have signed up before registration ends on Saturday. Some 6.92 million people of the 7.2 million eligible population had already registered for the HK$5,000 e-vouchers as of Saturday evening, according to the latest available statistics. For the 288,000 people still not enrolled,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3145014/e-voucher-scheme-could-boost-hong-kong-economic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3145014/e-voucher-scheme-could-boost-hong-kong-economic?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Aug 2021 03:00:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s economy will expand by between 5.5 per cent and 6.5 per cent this year, according to an upgraded government forecast, while analysts have rejected suggestions that growth is under threat from a recent drop in the population. Official figures released on Friday showed that the city’s gross domestic product grew 7.6 per cent year on year in the second quarter, signalling a sustained economic rebound brought on by the easing of the local coronavirus situation. During the first half of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3144953/hong-kong-economy-expected-grow-65-cent-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3144953/hong-kong-economy-expected-grow-65-cent-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Aug 2021 08:53:08 +0000 More flexibility should be introduced to secondary schools and universities to avoid athletes dropping out or taking longer to complete their degrees, the former chief of the Hong Kong Sports Institute and a government source have said. Professor Chung Pak-kwong highlighted the importance of cultivating athletes with potential when they were in primary and secondary school, saying the biggest hurdle was academic pressure. Chung, who now works in Baptist University’s sports department, said some... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3144632/hong-kongs-athletes-need-more-academic-flexibility-if-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3144632/hong-kongs-athletes-need-more-academic-flexibility-if-city?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Aug 2021 04:54:19 +0000 Four members of Hong Kong’s arts funding body have resigned, with one who had come under attack by pro-Beijing media citing concerns over “personal safety” as a reason for his departure. The Hong Kong Arts Development Council on Saturday confirmed that three elected representatives – artist Chris Chan Kam-sing, songwriter Adrian Chow Pok-yin and theatre director Indy Lee Chun-leung – ended their terms earlier this week, along with government appointee Vigo Yau Ah-kwai. The council said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3144244/4-members-hong-kong-arts-development-council-resign-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3144244/4-members-hong-kong-arts-development-council-resign-one?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Aug 2021 15:57:05 +0000 Hong Kong’s beleaguered tourism industry will receive HK$377 million (US$48 million) in aid to help operators cope with the collapse in demand during the Covid-19 pandemic. Travel agents, tour guides, coach drivers and operators of cross-border vehicles and ferries are set to benefit from the government’s latest round of financial aid, with the first payments expected from early September. Tourism had been hard hit by the anti-government protests in 2019 and the coronavirus crisis that followed,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143950/coronavirus-hong-kong-tourism-industry-receive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143950/coronavirus-hong-kong-tourism-industry-receive?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 09:16:35 +0000 The owner of a restaurant in Hong Kong was arrested on Tuesday after an undercover customs operation found it had actually used squid for its “abalone” breakfast on the menu. The 47-year-old woman, who runs the cha chaan teng in Tai Po, was accused of supplying food with false trade descriptions, an offence carrying a maximum penalty of five years in jail and a HK$500,000 fine, according to the Customs and Excise Department. Authorities mounted a test-buy operation after receiving information... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3143685/no-inkling-it-was-squid-hong-kong-restaurant-owner-hot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3143685/no-inkling-it-was-squid-hong-kong-restaurant-owner-hot?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Aug 2021 11:33:13 +0000 The late founder of the Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU), Szeto Wah, was once one of Beijing’s most trusted dissenting voices having been invited to sit on an exclusive committee to draft Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in the mid-1980s. Although he resigned from the Basic Law Drafting Committee following the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, political pundits argued the central government never shut him out entirely. But on Saturday, the Education Bureau in Hong Kong said it would no longer... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143417/hong-kongs-biggest-teachers-union-walked-fine-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143417/hong-kongs-biggest-teachers-union-walked-fine-line?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 00:00:24 +0000 Hong Kong has slammed “irresponsible” remarks by the United States and European Union criticising the sentencing of the first person to be convicted under the city’s national security law. The war of words erupted after Leon Tong Ying-kit, 24, was jailed for nine years on Friday for riding his motorcycle into a group of police officers last year while flying a flag calling for the city’s “liberation”. The former restaurant worker was found guilty of terrorism and incitement to commit secession... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143349/national-security-law-hong-kong-slams-irresponsible-us-eu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143349/national-security-law-hong-kong-slams-irresponsible-us-eu?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 16:01:31 +0000 Hong Kong’s Education Bureau is taking the unprecedented step of cutting all ties with the city’s largest teachers’ union and stripping it of its status as a professional group after two Communist Party mouthpieces branded the body a “malignant tumour” that must be eradicated. The pro-opposition Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU) – which represents some 95,000 members – expressed disappointment and regret over the decision on Saturday, saying it would be a loss to the whole education sector. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3143310/biggest-hong-kong-teachers-union-malignant-tumour-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3143310/biggest-hong-kong-teachers-union-malignant-tumour-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 07:33:47 +0000 Hong Kong’s sole delegate to the nation’s top legislative body has defended a political ally who attacked a badminton player representing the city at the Tokyo Olympic Games for wearing a black jersey, a colour widely associated with the 2019 anti-government movement. Tam Yiu-chung, a member of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee said Nicholas Muk had already apologised over his criticism of Angus Ng Ka-long’s clothing choice and hoped not to dwell on the issue any more. “I... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143247/pro-beijing-heavyweight-defends-ally-who-slammed-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3143247/pro-beijing-heavyweight-defends-ally-who-slammed-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jul 2021 13:55:41 +0000 More than 1,000 Hongkongers set off on Friday night aboard the city’s first-ever “cruise to nowhere”, with a top official hailing the high-seas jaunt as a step towards “bringing back normality”. Some passengers were so keen to travel again that one claimed he went ahead with Covid-19 vaccination – a requirement for all on board – even though he had long-term illnesses. Other excited guests were seen boarding the vessel hours before its departure. Commerce minister Edward Yau Tang-wah earlier... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143148/coronavirus-hong-kong-first-ever-cruise-nowhere?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143148/coronavirus-hong-kong-first-ever-cruise-nowhere?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jul 2021 06:19:19 +0000 A long-delayed water park at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park will not require visitors to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in a bid to encourage families to visit over the summer holiday, the Post has learned. A source familiar with the matter said the HK$4 billion (US$514 million) Water World would announce its official launch date in early August and have a soft opening later that month. “To encourage kids to go, vaccination is not a must,” the insider said, without disclosing more details. Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143064/long-awaited-water-world-ocean-park-will-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143064/long-awaited-water-world-ocean-park-will-not?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jul 2021 01:00:17 +0000 Strange warnings emerged on social media last month that a shopping centre in Tuen Mun, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, would be submerged, but instead of spreading fear the rumours brought only joy. The messages were a joke by local residents after they learned that popular Canto-pop boy bands Mirror and Error would attend an event at Tmtplaza on July 23. That day, more than 1,000 people poured into the mall to show their support, screaming and holding banners. Crowds of fans even queued up... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3142991/mirror-singer-keung-giving-hong-kong-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3142991/mirror-singer-keung-giving-hong-kong-people?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jul 2021 23:15:13 +0000 Hong Kong’s Competition Commission on Thursday urged the city’s trade associations to review their membership admission practices and ensure they were following the regulator’s guidelines to avoid breaching antitrust laws. In a statement, the commission noted that membership in an association was, in some cases, an essential precondition for participating in a market, so unreasonable and unjustifiably strict admission criteria and procedures could be harmful to companies looking to enter a given... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143029/hong-kongs-competition-commission-calls-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3143029/hong-kongs-competition-commission-calls-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jul 2021 10:36:34 +0000 The coming wine and food festival will boast spectacular ocean views if talks prove successful between tourism authorities and a company offering a “cruise to nowhere” for residents stuck in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic. Genting Cruise Lines said the tie-up made sense given the keen interest in its cruises, which were sold out for the next two weeks, and the fact the expo organisers had not secured a venue. “They don’t have a physical venue onshore … for the Wine & Dine Festival, so we... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3142914/operator-cruise-nowhere-floats-proposal-hold-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3142914/operator-cruise-nowhere-floats-proposal-hold-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jul 2021 14:26:12 +0000 Hong Kong health authorities will as early as next week begin handing out 200 passes a day at the city’s Covid-19 vaccination centres allowing walk-ins by residents aged 70 and above to boost a flagging take-up rate among the elderly, the civil service minister has said. The move, revealed by Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, came as the city confirmed two imported – and zero local – cases on Saturday, taking the city’s tally to 11,975 infections and 212 related deaths The two cases were arrivals from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3142370/walk-ins-welcome-hong-kong-begin-offering-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3142370/walk-ins-welcome-hong-kong-begin-offering-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jul 2021 06:16:57 +0000 Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li Tzar-kai has donated 10 million yuan (US$1.54 million) to help Henan after the central province in mainland China was devastated by heavy rains and flooding, becoming the latest local heavyweight to join fundraising drives by the city’s business and political groups. Li, the younger son of property tycoon Li Ka-shing, on Saturday expressed condolences to the affected residents across the border as Hong Kong government advisers were considering using the city’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3142150/china-floods-hong-kong-government-advisers-considering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3142150/china-floods-hong-kong-government-advisers-considering?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jul 2021 14:36:32 +0000 The much-delayed travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore will be subject to further review in late August as conditions for launching the quarantine-free arrangement are still unsuitable. A Hong Kong government spokesman said on Tuesday that the two sides were reviewing the pandemic situation, highlighting the recent surge in Covid-19 infections in the city state. “The condition for launching the air travel bubble cannot be met for the time being,” he said. “Both sides agreed that a review... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3141813/singapore-hong-kong-travel-bubble-late-august?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3141813/singapore-hong-kong-travel-bubble-late-august?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jul 2021 09:00:04 +0000 The head of a powerful vetting committee tasked with ensuring Hong Kong election candidates pose no threat to national security has vowed to weed out those “faking” allegiance to the city. Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu said on Saturday the candidate eligibility review committee he chairs would perform its role as gatekeeper fairly and in line with the law to deliver the successful implementation of Beijing’s reforms to Hong Kong’s elections system. New BN(O) passport rule for members of Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3141524/hong-kong-elections-vetting-committee-will-weed-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3141524/hong-kong-elections-vetting-committee-will-weed-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jul 2021 11:33:26 +0000 Most healthy Hong Kong residents can skip a third Covid-19 vaccine dose, but those with weaker immune systems may need one, according to the convenor of an advisory panel on the jabs. Professor Wallace Lau Chak-sing also maintained on Saturday that the two vaccines available in the city were both effective after a local university study found recipients of the BioNTech jab had 10 times more coronavirus antibodies than those who took Sinovac’s version. Lau noted the volume of proteins produced... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3141503/coronavirus-healthy-hong-kong-residents-likely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3141503/coronavirus-healthy-hong-kong-residents-likely?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jul 2021 06:04:06 +0000 Beijing’s watchful eye is enough to guarantee that Hong Kong’s chief executive will be punished for any corrupt acts, the city’s leader has said, underscoring her belief that extending anti-bribery laws to her own position would weaken the role under the constitution. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Saturday offered a new defence for rowing back on her 2017 manifesto promise to broaden the legislation, saying a deeper understanding of China’s constitution and Hong Kong’s Basic Law – as well as the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3141501/hong-kongs-leader-cannot-be-limited-local-laws-and-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3141501/hong-kongs-leader-cannot-be-limited-local-laws-and-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jul 2021 05:33:52 +0000 The Hong Kong director of a protest documentary screened at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday has sold the copyright of the film to protect himself from legal repercussions, but has decided to stay in the city, saying he does not want to be ruled by fear of the national security law. Kiwi Chow Kwun-wai, an award-winning local director, surprised the Hong Kong film industry on Friday by having Revolution of Our Times, a 2½-hour documentary about the city’s anti-government protests in 2019,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3141473/national-security-law-hong-kong-director-has-sold-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3141473/national-security-law-hong-kong-director-has-sold-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jul 2021 13:13:21 +0000 Guangdong provincial authorities have not made any promises to Hong Kong about quarantine-free travel across the border and any talks must start from scratch, the city’s leader has revealed. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also said on Thursday the vaccination rate against Covid-19, currently around 36 per cent for people who had taken their first shot, would have to rise to about 70 per cent to put her administration in a better position to negotiate the scheme with her counterparts... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3141255/coronavirus-talks-guangdong-resuming-cross-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3141255/coronavirus-talks-guangdong-resuming-cross-border?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jul 2021 10:46:56 +0000 Hong Kong businesses have been warned that flawed membership reward schemes risk ruining their relationships with customers, after a lack of transparency in the terms and conditions of various programmes sparked complaints. The Consumer Council said a lot of chain stores had launched membership rewards in recent years, but the number of complaints it received in connection with these programmes was on the rise. It got 30 complaints last year, 11 per cent more than in 2019, and 66.7 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3141086/customer-loyalty-schemes-can-do-more-harm-good-if-not-run?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3141086/customer-loyalty-schemes-can-do-more-harm-good-if-not-run?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jul 2021 08:59:26 +0000 More expensive make-up removers do not necessarily work better than others, while water-based products were largely “mediocre”, Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog said on Wednesday. In a study of 40 make-up removers, the Consumer Council found those that scored five stars overall had a price difference of more than three times, while some more expensive products had average outcomes. The top five products in terms of cleansing power were from Helena Rubinstein, Vichy Laboratoires, Clinique, Muji and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3141055/not-getting-what-you-pay-hong-kong-consumer-watchdog-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3141055/not-getting-what-you-pay-hong-kong-consumer-watchdog-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jul 2021 07:13:47 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has proposed a new quota system for quarantine-free business travel with mainland China for those who are vaccinated as part of efforts to lobby Beijing to reopen the border, according to sources. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had highlighted the city’s vaccination drive and its progress in reining in Covid-19 infections in her proposal, the insiders said, but there had been no response so far to the bid. The revival of cross-border travel – with the mainland... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3140969/china-or-singapore-hong-kongs-leader-keen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3140969/china-or-singapore-hong-kongs-leader-keen?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jul 2021 23:30:20 +0000 Hong Kong is in danger of falling behind as a global financial centre if it persists with its “zero infections” approach to reopening borders amid the coronavirus pandemic and fails to produce a road map for quarantine-free travel, the city’s business sector has warned. Business chiefs noted that other countries had already eased rules, especially for fully vaccinated travellers who could be spared harsh quarantine rules. Hong Kong’s border policy has been criticised for being among the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3140605/hong-kong-risks-falling-behind-competitors-if?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3140605/hong-kong-risks-falling-behind-competitors-if?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jul 2021 12:00:25 +0000 Hong Kong’s No 2 official on Saturday said the government was still weighing its options for tackling “fake news”, including a law scholars and journalists have warned could stifle press freedom, while the city’s police chief blamed it for stirring up hatred towards the force. New police commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee pointed to the July 1 knife attack on an officer, this week’s arrest of nine suspects for alleged terrorist activities, and the detainment of others said to have incited attacks... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3140618/hong-kong-police-chief-no-2-blast-fake-news-stirring-hatred?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3140618/hong-kong-police-chief-no-2-blast-fake-news-stirring-hatred?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jul 2021 08:56:53 +0000 Hong Kong will be well protected against coronavirus variants with a vaccination rate of 80 to 90 per cent, a government adviser on the inoculation drive has said amid rising momentum for the jabs. Professor Lau Yu-lung, chairman of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases, said he felt encouraged to see the latest surge in the number of people getting vaccinated, pointing to a new high of 70,010 doses administered a day earlier. He ramped up the call for vaccinations with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3140599/coronavirus-80-90-cent-vaccination-rate-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3140599/coronavirus-80-90-cent-vaccination-rate-will?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jul 2021 03:45:15 +0000 Hong Kong restaurants will have to provide more eco-friendly tableware and customers may need to bring their own containers for takeaway meals under a government proposal to eventually ban disposable plastic items. The plan, which was released on Friday for a two-month consultation, is expected to consist of two phases, with the first stage starting around 2025, which green groups said was far too long. The city will begin by banning the local sale of disposable expanded polystyrene (EPS)... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3140570/hong-kong-ban-plastic-cutlery-restaurants-four-years-green?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3140570/hong-kong-ban-plastic-cutlery-restaurants-four-years-green?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jul 2021 13:30:09 +0000 A debate over the efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine is emerging between Hong Kong and Singapore, adding another layer of uncertainty to the long-awaited travel bubble between the two cities. Professor Wallace Lau Chak-sing, convenor of Hong Kong’s advisory panel on coronavirus vaccines, on Thursday defended the efficacy of the mainland China-produced jabs, a day after the city state took issue with the lack of data about their effectiveness against the Delta variant. Hong Kong, where about 701,700... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3140292/hong-kong-singapore-travel-bubble-will-sinovacs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3140292/hong-kong-singapore-travel-bubble-will-sinovacs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jul 2021 06:21:50 +0000 Hong Kong will look into how a change in Singapore’s strategy for tackling the coronavirus may affect the quarantine-free travel bubble between the two destinations, and whether a vaccination requirement should be extended to visitors from the city state as a result, the chief executive has said. City leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday said Singapore was still the government’s top candidate for a bilateral travel corridor, which she pledged to finally launch – after two previous failed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3140046/singapores-plans-reopening-could-complicate-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3140046/singapores-plans-reopening-could-complicate-long?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jul 2021 11:04:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s Security Bureau has launched a virtual exhibition to mark the first anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law, making the case that the previous lack of such legislation had left the city “defenceless” against unrest in recent years. The website dedicated to the exhibition points to the failure in 2003 to pass local national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law – the city’s mini-constitution – and raises the spectres of the Occupy movement in 2014,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3139723/national-security-law-hong-kong-authorities-launch-glossy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3139723/national-security-law-hong-kong-authorities-launch-glossy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jul 2021 13:21:51 +0000 The city’s arts funding body is pulling its grant to the distributor of a controversial documentary featuring fierce clashes at a Hong Kong university during 2019’s anti-government protests, with its chairman accusing the film of “beautifying riots”. Wilfred Wong Ying-wai, chairman of the Arts Development Council, told the Post the funding for the upcoming year involved more than HK$700,000 (US$90,000) and the decision had been discussed by committees and council members. Wong said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3139612/hong-kong-protests-film-distributor-has-funding-cut-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3139612/hong-kong-protests-film-distributor-has-funding-cut-after?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jul 2021 09:29:05 +0000 Hong Kong health authorities suspect a part-time hotel cleaner who tested positive for a more transmissive strain of Covid-19 came into contact with traces of the virus left in a room by an infected guest and which a contractor failed to remove. The employee was confirmed as the sole local case on Friday, which brought to an end the city’s 24-day run of zero community infections and escalated fears of an outbreak of a mutated strain of the virus given she worked at two other... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3139554/coronavirus-hong-kong-officials-launch-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3139554/coronavirus-hong-kong-officials-launch-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jul 2021 05:09:48 +0000 The government has come under fresh criticism over its failure to plug loopholes in a public transport subsidy scheme that is leading to the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars in Hong Kong every year. Pro-Beijing lawmaker Wilson Or Chong-shing said on Thursday some passengers eligible for a flat HK$2 (25 US cents) fare on designated public transport took long-haul buses for short trips. When beneficiaries travelled this way, the government’s reimbursement to the operators is more than the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3139491/government-must-plug-holes-transport-subsidy-scheme-wastes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3139491/government-must-plug-holes-transport-subsidy-scheme-wastes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jul 2021 12:08:49 +0000 Vaccinated Hong Kong residents will be allowed to visit Macau without undergoing mandatory quarantine as early as this month under a plan that limits visitor access to hotel facilities and mask-free activities such as visiting bars, the Post has learned. But shortly after the plan was revealed on Thursday, the Macau government ramped up its requirements. It raised the threshold for resumption of travel, with Hong Kong required to reach 14 days without either local coronavirus infections or... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3139424/coronavirus-quarantine-free-travel-between-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3139424/coronavirus-quarantine-free-travel-between-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jul 2021 06:11:14 +0000 Using Hong Kong’s public transport will get considerably cheaper for more than 600,000 residents from next February 27, after the welfare minister said a subsidy scheme would be extended to include people aged 60 to 64 and cover more forms of travel. The new beneficiaries of the discounted transport scheme – which provides HK$2 (26 US cents) trips on MTR trains, franchised buses, green minibuses and ferries – will have to apply for a personalised Octopus “JoyYou Card”, which will show the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3139288/hong-kong-travel-get-cheaper-over-60s-public-transport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3139288/hong-kong-travel-get-cheaper-over-60s-public-transport?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jun 2021 06:35:17 +0000