https://www.scmp.com/rss/33858/feed Christy Choi is a news reporter for the South China Morning Post covering science and technology. Before the SCMP, she worked for the Phnom Penh Post and Time, writing about sharks helping tame lionfish invasions, mealybug infestations, human trafficking and the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, among others. As a former contemporary arts curator, she has a soft spot for the arts, and while science is her beat at the Post, she won’t say no to a good yarn about pretty much anything under... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Great minds blazing a trail: meet the women who are leading the way in the realm of science and invention. See our other features on Megan Lam, Gina Jiang, Florence Chan and Wendy Lam. If you want to know how cells work on a genetic level, Angela Wu Ruohao is who you should ask. The bioengineer builds tools and methods that show us how DNA works, by creating technology that can read genetic information from individual cells in our body, allowing scientists to create maps of cell types and their... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3301311/she-tried-several-careers-found-her-niche-genetic-sequencing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3301311/she-tried-several-careers-found-her-niche-genetic-sequencing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2025 22:15:08 +0000 Great minds blazing a trail: five women are leading the way in the realm of science. See our other features on Megan Lam, Florence Chan and Wendy Lam. Gina Jiang took an unconventional route to the top. The daughter of an orthopaedic surgeon and an oil painter, the 44-year-old Taiwanese-Canadian has a degree in general medicine from Peking University but chose not to be a medical doctor or clinical researcher. Instead, Jiang has built a 20-plus-year career finding ways to make new therapies... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3301295/hong-kong-biotech-leader-forging-ahead-groundbreaking-cancer-therapies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3301295/hong-kong-biotech-leader-forging-ahead-groundbreaking-cancer-therapies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Business successions: when they go bad, they are the stuff of soap operas and tabloids. The strife between the heirs of the famous roast goose restaurant Yung Kee and the case of Nina Wang, wife of the still-missing tycoon Teddy Wang, and the fung shui master who looked to inherit the Chinachem fortune were the talk of the town in Hong Kong. “Every business founder exits the business at one point, whether by design or default,” said Bernard Rennell, global head of family governance and family... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/2094143/business-successions-go-awry-are-stuff-soap-operas-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/2094143/business-successions-go-awry-are-stuff-soap-operas-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 May 2017 01:45:00 +0000 With its sky-high rents, Hong Kong can be an unwelcoming city for the budget traveller. Filling the reasonably priced-accommodation void is new kid on the block the Mahjong Hostel, located in one of the few old-fashioned neighbourhoods left in Hong Kong. All tong lau, cha chaan teng and little old grannies, To Kwa Wan offers a taste of the unique in this fast homogenising town of ours. With clean, bright, airy and modern rooms, and a manager who can point travellers to cheap and cheerful... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel-leisure/article/1892371/travel-news-budget-bed-spaces-heart-old-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel-leisure/article/1892371/travel-news-budget-bed-spaces-heart-old-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Dec 2015 00:15:50 +0000 "Hello, I'm your alarm today," whispers a Scottish man in my ear. "You are so beautiful when you wake up," says a British boy-next-door minutes later. "Tu veux un café, mon amour," asks a Frenchman shortly after. No, I haven't woken up sandwiched between three hunks (a girl can dream); I've downloaded the Morning Man Alarm Clock app, created by New York-based photographer Grace Huang. "Several years ago, I met a Spanish male model who had the most wonderful voice. My fashion stylist recorded a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1886412/morning-man-alarm-clock-app-sexy-wake-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1886412/morning-man-alarm-clock-app-sexy-wake-call?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Dec 2015 09:15:00 +0000 It's the classic Buzzfeed quiz: which Disney character are you? A beard-stroking schemer like Jafar? A Cinderella-style dreamer? Or the life of the party, a la Aladdin's blue Genie? To celebrate Disney's most beloved heroes, heroines and villains, and to mark Hong Kong Disneyland's 10th anniversary, the theme park is on Tuesday launching a new show, Mickey and the Wondrous Book. The "epic" extravaganza will feature 22 original costume designs, and the theme song of the 10th-anniversary... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1878113/new-mickey-mouse-caper-hong-kong-disneylands-10th?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1878113/new-mickey-mouse-caper-hong-kong-disneylands-10th?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Nov 2015 14:34:53 +0000 Calling environmentally conscious inventors. Clothing giant H&M is putting up €1 million (HK$8.6 million) for an innovation competition aimed at helping the fast-fashion industry become greener. The Global Change Award, which launched last month, is looking for ideas that will update the way garments are designed, produced, shipped, bought, used and recycled, to make the industry less wasteful and harmful to the environment. "Ground-breaking, game-changing ideas can come from anywhere, so the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1856903/calling-all-inventors-hms-global-change-award-seeks-fresh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1856903/calling-all-inventors-hms-global-change-award-seeks-fresh?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2015 04:00:15 +0000 Population: 230 million. Geography: diverse. Ethnic groups? Too many to mention. Welcome to Expatland - a place that's home to some five million Brits, six million Americans, one million Aussies and three million Germans, to name a few. This fictional nation is the creation of John Marcarian, an Australian expat for two decades whose book Expatland was launched this month. Marcarian, founder of CST Tax Advisors, coined the term after observing that a growing number of professional athletes,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1805149/moving-abroad-all-you-need-know-about-expatland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1805149/moving-abroad-all-you-need-know-about-expatland?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2015 14:30:45 +0000 Beijing's tough air pollution reduction measures for the 2008 Olympics had an unintended benefit: heavier baby birth weights, a study has reported. "These findings not only illustrate one of the many significant health consequences of pollution, but also demonstrate that this phenomenon can be reversed," said David Rich, the study's lead author and epidemiologist with New York's University of Rochester Medical Centre. Babies born to mothers whose eighth month of pregnancy fell between August 8... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1779712/chinese-babies-born-low-smog-olympics-year-23-grams-heavier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1779712/chinese-babies-born-low-smog-olympics-year-23-grams-heavier?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2015 19:00:00 +0000 THE SHANGHAI LINK During the Great Depression, my grandfather moved (from Britain) to Shanghai to work. Shanghai was modernising fast and his role was to supervise the installation of water meters throughout the city. He was promoted to chief inspector of the Shanghai Waterworks Company, and my father was born in China in 1932. During the troubles in Shanghai in the 1930s (when gangsters dominated the police force), my family came down to Hong Kong for a few months to live here. ANALYSE THIS I... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1767514/nuclear-power-would-benefit-hong-kong-says-robin-grimes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1767514/nuclear-power-would-benefit-hong-kong-says-robin-grimes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2015 14:07:11 +0000 MY FATHER THE HERO Not everybody knows I'm Bruce Lee's daughter. I'm really grateful I'm not a public figure; my father struggled with (fame). In particular, here in Hong Kong, when the films were so successful he could barely walk down the street. He liked his privacy, so it was difficult for him. There was a frenzy in the (international) press when Enter the Dragon came out (in 1973). Everyone wanted to know who Bruce Lee was. There was this big uproar, "Oh my gosh, he's so amazing," and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1660315/shannon-lee-her-dad-bruce-lee-and-his-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1660315/shannon-lee-her-dad-bruce-lee-and-his-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2014 14:00:15 +0000 We've had extreme selfies and yoga selfies - and the word "selfie" has entered the Oxford English Dictionary. Now one firm is taking it to the next level of narcissism: 3D-selfies. Previously used by the movie industry for CGI, and selfie-loving United States President Barack Obama, the 3D-imaging technology produced by Artec Group is now reaching the masses. Artec's Shapify booth, which was showcased at AsiaWorld-Expo last week, scans those who step inside to produce a 3D gypsum figurine - a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1581404/something-new-shapie-things-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1581404/something-new-shapie-things-come?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2014 15:32:16 +0000 The Women's Commission is under fire for failing to do its duty to advance the lot of women in Hong Kong - from Anson Chan Fang On-sang, the woman who announced its setting up. The former chief secretary said the commission had become more about "cocktails and receptions" than real initiatives. "The most important thing is to identify areas in need of work, do basic research, collaborate. Real effort. Not just turn up for cocktails and receptions, and International Women's Day," she said. "This... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1570256/anson-chan-says-womens-commission-isnt-advancing-lot-hong-kong-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1570256/anson-chan-says-womens-commission-isnt-advancing-lot-hong-kong-women?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Aug 2014 21:45:15 +0000 The government should relax the rules on leases for private animal shelters so that stray dogs don't end up on "death row" every few years, a kennel owner says. Animal welfare centres are typically granted only short-term leases, at the end of which they face eviction as they struggle to find new premises. The problem looms for the Sai Kung Stray Friends Foundation. It signed a five-year lease on a new site in Ma On Shan but is scrambling to get government approval to start construction before... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1568453/dog-kennels-being-kept-tight-lease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1568453/dog-kennels-being-kept-tight-lease?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2014 21:30:30 +0000 For Hong Kong youngsters more comfortable with computer games it might not seem the obvious place for a summer outing, but a trampoline park in Quarry Bay is proving a big hit. "We've sold out almost every session, every day," said Felicia Liu Ho-ming, a member of the Ryze trampoline park's "flight crew" whose job is looking after the 100 or so who are jumping in the park at any given hour. Late yesterday afternoon the venue was full, and by 5.30pm a long line of enthusiastic teens was snaking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1565201/trampoline-centre-ryze-proves-summer-hit-hong-kong-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1565201/trampoline-centre-ryze-proves-summer-hit-hong-kong-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2014 21:49:31 +0000 Women may outnumber men in Hong Kong, but the upper echelon of the civil service remains a man's world, figures published by the Census and Statistics Department yesterday show. Only a third of high-level civil servants are women, and the ratio is even lower for the city's advisory and statutory bodies; just 27 per cent of non-official members appointed to such bodies are women. The gender disparity remains despite an ambitious report published by the Women's Commission in December 2011, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1563637/men-still-hold-most-top-jobs-public-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1563637/men-still-hold-most-top-jobs-public-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2014 20:00:15 +0000 Two refugee organisations locked in a bitter dispute have reached an out-of-court settlement in a defamation case. Long-established NGO Christian Action had reached a deal to end its action against relative newcomer Vision First so both could focus on "ongoing work to assist refugees," Christian Action counsel Earl Deng said. The settlement was reported to the High Court yesterday morning. Madam Justice Bebe Chu Pui-ying told the groups that there's was "indeed a very sensible approach", and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1562859/refugee-groups-reach-out-court-deal-settle-defamation-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1562859/refugee-groups-reach-out-court-deal-settle-defamation-case?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2014 20:45:45 +0000 Stronger than aluminium, yet cheaper and lighter than steel. These are the claims made for a new material developed by Hong Kong researchers, who say it could replace steel and cement in buildings. The composite of carbon and aluminium, known as fibre-reinforced aluminium, can also save energy, according to the team at the University of Science and Technology who developed it. It is made by changing the structure of the materials at a microscopic, or nano, level, enabling them to bond without... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1557667/researchers-work-new-aluminium-product?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1557667/researchers-work-new-aluminium-product?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2014 20:57:26 +0000 The Foreign Correspondents' Club has called on Beijing to ensure a fair trial for two of its members accused of illegally buying and selling private information. The club came out in support of Peter Humphrey and Yu Yingzeng, who will go on trial in Shanghai next month over investigations they carried out for scandal-hit British pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline. "Transparency is a cornerstone of the judicial process and a fair trial is a fundamental human right," the club said. "The FCC Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1556678/ensure-fair-trial-gsk-probe-pair-foreign-correspondents-club-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1556678/ensure-fair-trial-gsk-probe-pair-foreign-correspondents-club-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2014 22:06:11 +0000 It's what every fashionable cow is wearing - and it could save their lives. Feral cows on Lantau Island and in Sai Kung are being fitted with light-reflecting collars to improve safety on rural roads after a spate of accidents. "It's the same reflective material found on workmen," said Kathy Daxon, chairwoman of the Tai O Community Cattle Group. Group members took matters into their own hands amid what they saw as a lack of concern from police and the Transport Department for the safety of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1556679/collaring-cows-rural-residents-fit-cattle-reflective-gear-after-spate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1556679/collaring-cows-rural-residents-fit-cattle-reflective-gear-after-spate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2014 22:00:15 +0000 The few passengers checking in at Malaysia Airlines desks at Chek Lap Kok last night were taking a pragmatic view of events. "[These events] can happen to every airline," 50-year-old Malaysian resident Justin Loh said. "It may affect the cancellation of flights ... but as time goes by people will forget." Having been a frequent flyer with the airline for about 20 years, Loh said he was not worried about flying with the airline despite yesterday's disaster and the earlier disappearance of flight... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1556553/malaysia-airlines-passengers-hong-kong-take-pragmatic-view-events?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1556553/malaysia-airlines-passengers-hong-kong-take-pragmatic-view-events?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:00:00 +0000 A controversial bill to allow transgender people to marry in their chosen sex will not be passed before the Legislative Council's summer recess begins this month, 14 months after the courts ordered the government to make the change within a year. The inaction of the government was an "insulting" stalling tactic, said solicitor Michael Vidler, who represented W, a transgender woman who challenged the government's stance that she could not marry because she had been born a man. He said: "The CFA... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1554955/legco-accused-stalling-transgender-right-marry-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1554955/legco-accused-stalling-transgender-right-marry-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2014 20:15:45 +0000 If you boot up your computer today and search for something on the internet, the chances are you may stumble acorss the first ever 'Google Doodle' to be designed by a Hong Kong teenager. Seventeen-year-old Wong Chiu-yung became the first person in the city to have their own design featured on Google's homepage after winning the first competition of its type to be held in the city. For 24 hours Wong's environmental design, where the word Google is spelled out using flowers, trees and water, will... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1553028/hong-kong-teenager-wins-google-doodle-contest-green-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1553028/hong-kong-teenager-wins-google-doodle-contest-green-design?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2014 21:15:00 +0000 A transgender man will challenge the government over its controversial Marriage (Amendment) Bill, which would force transgender people to undergo a dangerous sex-change operation in order to be recognised as their chosen gender and allowed to marry. Lawyer Michael Vidler and his client said they would challenge the legislation as unconstitutional should it pass on July 9. The man, who can only be identified as Q, should not have to give up his "constitutional right" to leave his body unharmed in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1548189/transgender-man-plans-challenge-proposed-law-marriage-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1548189/transgender-man-plans-challenge-proposed-law-marriage-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2014 21:45:15 +0000 A team at City University has developed a self-cleaning cashmere that uses energy from the sun. The technology coats cashmere fibres with tiny particles that help break down bacteria, dirt and even coffee and wine stains. "Within 24 hours of daylight exposure, any red wine or coffee stains were gone," said Walid Daoud, assistant professor in City University's school of energy and environment and the lead researcher on the project. Daoud and other researchers have applied a coating of the mineral... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1547667/hong-kong-city-university-scientists-develop-self-cleaning-cashmere?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1547667/hong-kong-city-university-scientists-develop-self-cleaning-cashmere?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2014 21:00:00 +0000 Two torture victims from Africa who have been seeking asylum in Hong Kong for the past nine years have been granted refugee status in Canada within a year of applying. The plight of the two men highlights the "failing" screening process for torture claimants in the city, says Patricia Ho, a human-rights lawyer with Daly and Associates. "We submitted exactly the same documents as we did to the Hong Kong government, if not more for the Hong Kong government," Ho said. "It says a lot that after over... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1547630/african-torture-victims-stymied-hong-kong-accepted-canada-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1547630/african-torture-victims-stymied-hong-kong-accepted-canada-refugees?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2014 21:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong internet users and psychologists have accused Facebook of acting unethically after learning that it secretly manipulated the emotions of its members as part of a psychological experiment. They also called for more transparency on the part of the social media giant. "It's ethically wrong," social worker Daniel Kwan Ka-king, 28, said yesterday. "I'm concerned about my privacy." Researchers altered the feeds of 689,000 users over one week in November 2012, making them display more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1544448/hongkongers-voice-privacy-fears-after-facebooks-ethically-wrong-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1544448/hongkongers-voice-privacy-fears-after-facebooks-ethically-wrong-study?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2014 19:16:08 +0000 A project being launched this week aims to help boost the growth of technology start-ups in Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific region. Venturetec, an "accelerator", is accepting applications to a six-to-12-month programme that will link 12 to 15 start-ups with 10 or so major corporate partners, mostly in the banking and telecommunications industries. The big companies will mentor the new companies and, organisers hope, become clients at the end of the programme. Accelerators - which offer budding... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1542612/venturetec-aims-accelerate-pace-tech-development-helping-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1542612/venturetec-aims-accelerate-pace-tech-development-helping-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2014 21:41:21 +0000 Eighty dogs that were condemned to be put down have been given a stay of execution, after their animal shelter, in Sai Kung, received a six-month extension to its lease. The kennel and adoption centre at Tai Lam Wu, in Ho Chung, had been facing the prospect of euthanising its animals if homes could not be found for them before the lease expired last week. But with the six-month extension comes a jump in rent - from HK$20,000 to HK$50,000 a month. Still, it buys time for the shelter to relocate.... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1540375/save-our-strays-sai-kung-rescue-dogs-risk-unless-shelter-finds-funds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1540375/save-our-strays-sai-kung-rescue-dogs-risk-unless-shelter-finds-funds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2014 09:30:00 +0000 Asylum seekers rallied at the Star Ferry pier in Central yesterday, protesting over their poor living conditions and asking for the right to work. The protest came as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced that there were now more than 51 million people worldwide who had been displaced from their homes - the highest number since the second world war. Some 200 asylum seekers beat drums, danced and chanted, as they gathered for about 1-1/2 hours at the pier before marching to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1537181/we-want-work-say-asylum-seekers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1537181/we-want-work-say-asylum-seekers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2014 19:15:30 +0000 Facebook users in Hong Kong feared a 30-minute blackout yesterday was part of cyberattacks that have been linked to the Occupy Central movement. The social media giant went down across the world at about 3.50pm Hong Kong time, setting off a flurry of panicked messages on other social media. Users who tried to log into Facebook received an error page that simply said: "Sorry, something went wrong. We're working on getting this fixed as soon as we can." Hong Kong users speculated on Twitter that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1536419/hacking-fears-facebook-crashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1536419/hacking-fears-facebook-crashes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2014 18:45:00 +0000 An advertisement for domestic helper insurance starring a Chinese man as a Filipino maid has been withdrawn after it was condemned as racist – but the bank responsible insisted it never intended to cause offence. The advertisement for Malaysia’s Hong Leong Bank caused outrage on social media and was condemned by domestic helpers’ rights groups. It showed the actor wearing dark orange make-up and a curly wig as he portrayed a clumsy maid named “Maria”. The same actor plays her employer. Watch:... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1535574/racist-maid-advert-draws-anger-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1535574/racist-maid-advert-draws-anger-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2014 07:15:15 +0000 With his release of information that the US National Security Agency had access to the private networks of technology giants Google and Yahoo, were scooping up users' mobile data indiscriminately and tapping the phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and 34 other world leaders, Edward Snowden kicked off a global debate on privacy and surveillance that is likely to resonate for years to come. Most users are probably now aware that companies can be compelled by US courts to reveal sensitive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1532986/snowdens-revelations-changed-it-industrys-sense-privacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1532986/snowdens-revelations-changed-it-industrys-sense-privacy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Jun 2014 22:30:45 +0000 After talking about death for two hours straight, customers departed the Death Cafe full of life. The crowd consisted of ordinary Hongkongers intent on addressing the taboo subject - over cake and a cup of tea. Many had arrived at the Death Cafe yesterday - hosted by the Bijas vegetarian restaurant at the University of Hong Kong - not knowing what to expect. But within five minutes, 30 to 40 strangers were having conversations that they had found impossible with friends and family. "It's not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1532994/hong-kongs-death-cafe-it-love-and-life-menu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1532994/hong-kongs-death-cafe-it-love-and-life-menu?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Jun 2014 21:28:28 +0000 The British consul-general is asking the Hong Kong authorities to clarify whether same-sex marriages can take place at the consulate. The British consulate said on Monday that the city government had "raised an objection" to it solemnising same-sex marriages. But the Hong Kong government's protocol department said on Tuesday that it was up to consulates to decide what services they wished to provide their nationals in line with the Vienna Convention and Hong Kong's Consular Relations... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1530427/british-consulate-press-hong-kong-gay-marriage-after-diplomatic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1530427/british-consulate-press-hong-kong-gay-marriage-after-diplomatic?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jun 2014 20:30:15 +0000 Confusion is reigning over whether same-sex couples can be wed at the British consulate, after the Hong Kong government appeared to distance itself from claims that it objected to the conduct of such unions. "It would be for individual consulates general to decide what functions and services they would wish to provide to their nationals," the Protocol Department said. It added a caveat, saying such functions were "in line with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and [Hong Kong's]... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1529517/confusion-over-gay-unions-consulates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1529517/confusion-over-gay-unions-consulates?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2014 20:00:45 +0000 Same-sex marriages will be allowed at British consulates in China, Russia, Azerbaijan and 20 other countries, but not in Hong Kong, according to the local consulate. "Unfortunately, the Hong Kong government has raised an objection to the solemnisation of same-sex marriages in Hong Kong," said a spokeswoman for the British consulate. While diplomatic missions are under British rule and not subject to Hong Kong law, it is a requirement under British law that a marriage licence only be issued if... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1528231/uk-diplomatic-missions-allow-same-sex-marriages-not-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1528231/uk-diplomatic-missions-allow-same-sex-marriages-not-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Jun 2014 19:00:45 +0000 Hong Kong's first multidisciplinary bioethics centre is due to open next year, adding a philosophical element to the city's already booming medical research scene. Ethical questions related to ageing and genetics - such as euthanasia and prenatal diagnosis - will be some of the most important concerns of the centre, which will operate in Chinese University's medical school starting in January. "There is a need to bring ethics to the forefront," said vice-chancellor and neonatologist Dr Fok... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1528228/bioethics-centre-chinese-university-tackle-medical-moral-dilemmas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1528228/bioethics-centre-chinese-university-tackle-medical-moral-dilemmas?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Jun 2014 19:00:45 +0000 Ever wondered what you would look like dangling from the top of the Bank of China building? Visitors will be able to see for themselves when the Hong Kong 3-D Museum opens next month. The display of more than 10,000 square feet in the Hilton Tower, Tsim Sha Tsui, will house about 70 paintings that combine fantasy, reality, and a touch of silliness in a tribute to Hong Kong and Chinese culture through illusions. The paintings are two-dimensional but optical illusions created by their painters... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1526133/citys-newest-museum-more-meets-eye?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1526133/citys-newest-museum-more-meets-eye?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jun 2014 20:00:45 +0000 Two education scholars are behind a series of general studies textbooks that have sparked bitter controversy for their racially stereotypical contents. The textbooks - New General Studies - are co-authored by Irene Cheng Nga-yee, assistant professor in the Institute of Education's department of science and environment studies, and Teresa Chai Yip Wai-lin, former deputy head of the institute's department of social sciences. Neither the scholars nor the publisher, Educational Publishing House,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1524001/outrage-over-primary-school-textbook-asks-pupils-match-races?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1524001/outrage-over-primary-school-textbook-asks-pupils-match-races?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2014 19:10:38 +0000 "Ba ba ba, ba banana, Ba ba ba, ba banana, bananaaaa," they sing to the tune of The Beach Boys' Barbara Ann. The silly refrain from the minions of the movie Despicable Me sums up the kind of playful fun that keeps the Hong Kong a cappella group Lasagna going. Whether bankers, marketers or engineers, they put aside the day's work and let loose - and it's a hobby that's becoming more popular in the city. A cappella performers sing without accompaniment. "It's not a very common type of music here... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1522885/cappella-group-lasagna-lead-singing-boom-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1522885/cappella-group-lasagna-lead-singing-boom-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 May 2014 20:45:00 +0000 A Hong Kong-born woman who became Britain's first ethnic Chinese parliamentarian says her decision to quit politics - and possibly her adopted home - reflects a growing hostility to foreigners and the rise of far-right politics across Europe. Northern Ireland politician Anna Lo Man-wah announced last week that she would not seek re-election for the Belfast South seat she has held for the moderate Alliance Party for eight years. In an interview with the Sunday Morning Post, she said her decision... https://www.scmp.com/article/1521876/hong-kong-born-anna-lo-quit-northern-ireland-assembly-over-racist-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1521876/hong-kong-born-anna-lo-quit-northern-ireland-assembly-over-racist-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2014 07:45:00 +0000 In a two-part special report, the South China Morning Post examines the challenges of keeping Hong Kong's water supply flowing and clean. We meet the scientists and engineers experimenting with new ways to deal with the city’s growing demand for water and the increasing amounts of chemicals like antibiotics, cleaning fluids and personal care products in it. Click here to access the report https://www.scmp.com/infographics/article/1521768/21hk-whats-hong-kongs-water?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/infographics/article/1521768/21hk-whats-hong-kongs-water?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2014 03:30:30 +0000 The Hong Kong foundation handing out the annual multimillion-dollar Shaw Prize has defended the role of such awards in spurring scientific progress, as it announced this year's winners. "Really good scientists are driven by curiosity, not prizes. The prizes are things that happen in the end," said Kenneth Young, physics professor at Chinese University and a member of the council selecting Shaw Laureates. "Young people know certain fields are blossoming, and that's why they join. It's because of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1520089/shaw-scientists-driven-curiosity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1520089/shaw-scientists-driven-curiosity?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 May 2014 20:30:00 +0000 It may be oppressively hot and humid outside, but inside City University's school of creative media, icebergs loom and 3-D patterns inspired by the Aurora Australis, or the Southern Lights, play across the walls of a 360-degree theatre. In "Freeze Frame", the newest exhibition at the school, students who set off on a 21-day Antarctic journey last December tell stories to an audience that lives more than halfway across the world from the South Pole. "They returned with images, videos and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1519380/city-universitys-exhibition-antarctic-blends-science-art?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1519380/city-universitys-exhibition-antarctic-blends-science-art?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 May 2014 21:15:14 +0000 Windows are still falling from multimillion-dollar flats at a luxury development in Ap Lei Chau, more than 18 months after the first cases were reported. Residents of Larvotto are demanding answers after two more windows disintegrated last week. In the latest incident yesterday, a window shattered and sprayed glass across a podium, swimming pool, driveway and public road. Some residents have already moved out and others have threatened to do so three years after the development opened. "It's... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1519377/more-windows-shatter-luxury-larvotto-estate-ap-lei-chau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1519377/more-windows-shatter-luxury-larvotto-estate-ap-lei-chau?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 May 2014 21:15:14 +0000 A more complete picture of Hong Kong - including all the off-street nooks and crannies - will soon be available online in 3-D, via mapping developed by the University of Science and Technology. Researchers are using aerial images and computer programming to produce a comprehensive map of the city - being touted as better than those from Google and Apple - by early next year. While internet giant Google offered comprehensive coverage of North America, its Asia coverage left much to be desired,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1517838/local-university-come-maps-better-googles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1517838/local-university-come-maps-better-googles?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 May 2014 07:15:45 +0000 Hongkongers may not have noticed it but the average global temperature last month tied with 2010 for the warmest April on record. The mean temperature of sea and land surfaces combined was 14.47 degrees Celsius, an increase of 0.77 of a degree from the 20th-century average of 13.7 degrees, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association said. Reflecting a warming global climate, it marked the 38th consecutive April and 350th consecutive month with a temperature above the 20th-century... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1517482/year-tied-2010-warmest-april-record-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1517482/year-tied-2010-warmest-april-record-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2014 20:00:30 +0000 For over a decade, local NGOs and lawyers aiding the city's refugee community have been calling for a revamp of the system that decides whether refugees stay or go. It appeared they were making progress when, this March, the Hong Kong government was forced to take on the responsibility from the UN's refugee agency UNHCR. Yet almost three months on, amid controversy over the rollout of the system, advocates of long-term asylum seekers are accusing the government of deliberately making the process... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1516648/controversy-over-hong-kongs-asylum-seekers-harks-back-vietnam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1516648/controversy-over-hong-kongs-asylum-seekers-harks-back-vietnam?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 May 2014 20:50:51 +0000 You're not thinking straight if you believe a tax on wine will reduce alcohol consumption among young people, bars and restaurants say. To make a real dent in underage drinking, educate the young and step up identity checks in shops, they say. The industry was responding to news this week that health authorities are considering bringing back the wine tax - scrapped in 2008 - after seeing an increase in young people binge drinking. "I'm sure there are people who do [binge drink wine], but it's... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1513772/wine-tax-wont-stop-young-binge-drinkers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1513772/wine-tax-wont-stop-young-binge-drinkers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2014 20:02:39 +0000