https://www.scmp.com/rss/501091/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com When Agnes Lam Man-ching started flying around the world, meeting people of various nationalities and cultures as a flight attendant seven years ago, the large income gap between the rich and the poor in many societies shocked her. It was then that a seed of helping others was sown in her heart. “I flew to India once at the very beginning of my career and saw a family without a home. Their children had to walk barefoot and they obviously would not have a chance to go to school. It was then that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3024144/how-hong-kong-womans-travels-opened-her-heart-sponsoring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3024144/how-hong-kong-womans-travels-opened-her-heart-sponsoring?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Aug 2019 09:01:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s sweeping political turmoil and destabilising protests have eaten into the city’s core industries, with knock-on effects felt across the tourism, aviation and retail sectors, as well as the job market. Economists on Thursday raised concerns based on a slow burn of alarming metrics: turnover of the stock market has tumbled more than 25 per cent since June, tourist arrivals are down 30 per cent, hotel prices have been slashed more than 50 per cent – and unemployment is on the rise. At... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3023985/hong-kongs-core-industries-hammered-anti?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3023985/hong-kongs-core-industries-hammered-anti?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2019 15:32:29 +0000 Students from 10 Hong Kong universities and more than 100 secondary schools are expected to join a class boycott next month, with their representatives in tertiary institutions warning they will escalate the action if the government fails to meet protesters’ demands related to the extradition bill by September 13. The scale of the action was revealed on Thursday as organisers of the university and secondary school strikes detailed their plans separately. Hong Kong has been rocked by 11 straight... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023982/hong-kong-protests-students-10-universities-and-more-100?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3023982/hong-kong-protests-students-10-universities-and-more-100?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2019 15:06:14 +0000 Singapore’s education ministry has advised the city state’s six government-funded universities to postpone all trips to Hong Kong, with the institutions immediately pulling the plug on student exchange programmes due to begin next month. The ministry told This Week in Asia its guidance to the institutions covered student and staff trips, including “visits, exchanges and internships”, and was issued last Friday after Singapore’s ministry of foreign affairs updated its travel advisory for Hong... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/3023840/singapore-universities-pull-plug-hong-kong-stints-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/3023840/singapore-universities-pull-plug-hong-kong-stints-students?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2019 02:59:37 +0000 Hong Kong’s biggest banks said they have enough currency notes on hand to handle any extraordinary increase in demand for cash, as calls circulated online for protesters to empty out automated teller machines (ATMs) to disrupt the banking system in Asia’s financial hub. HSBC, the largest of the city’s three currency-issuing banks, said it “has sufficient supply of banknotes and is committed to supporting its customers and the smooth operation of the financial system in Hong Kong,” according to a... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3023065/hong-kongs-banks-say-they-have-adequate-cash-meet-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3023065/hong-kongs-banks-say-they-have-adequate-cash-meet-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2019 06:08:39 +0000 Hong Kong International Airport was back to normal on Thursday morning, two days after bosses there got a court injunction against unauthorised demonstrations. The 70 or so protesters at the site the previous evening were nowhere to be seen, as their placards and leaflets were either removed or being cleared away. On Tuesday, violent clashes between police and protesters at the airport – one of the world’s busiest – brought the city’s air traffic to a halt. Demonstrators had been there since... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022861/tougher-security-hong-kong-airport-returns-normal-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022861/tougher-security-hong-kong-airport-returns-normal-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2019 02:32:48 +0000 Defiant anti-government protesters brought unprecedented violence to Hong Kong International Airport on Tuesday night, clashing with riot police after severely disrupting flights, even as officials secured an injunction order against those occupying the terminal building. A source confirmed that the Airport Authority, represented by Senior Counsel Benjamin Yu, was granted the injunction by a judge late on Tuesday night. It was not immediately clear what the scope of the injunction to remove the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022668/riot-police-protesters-clash-unprecedented-violence-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022668/riot-police-protesters-clash-unprecedented-violence-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2019 15:55:18 +0000 Anti-government protesters have severely disrupted air travel for a second straight day, forcing Hong Kong International Airport to suspend check-in services for all departing flights. The Airport Authority announced on Tuesday afternoon that only passengers checked in before 4.30pm would be able to fly. Incoming flights for the rest of the day would continue. Thousands of demonstrators had occupied the area around the check-in aisles from about 2.30pm, before making their way towards departure... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3022522/hong-kong-airport-hundreds-more-flights-cancelled-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3022522/hong-kong-airport-hundreds-more-flights-cancelled-day?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2019 00:40:20 +0000 All flights out of Hong Kong were cancelled on Monday in an unprecedented disruption after thousands of anti-government protesters occupied the airport terminal building. The Airport Authority blamed the cancellations from 4pm local time onwards on the protests which had “seriously disrupted” operations, with masses of demonstrators preventing passengers from checking in or clearing airport security. LIVE: Follow the latest updates on Hong Kong airport disruption “All check-in service for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022411/after-woman-shot-eye-angry-protesters-descend-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022411/after-woman-shot-eye-angry-protesters-descend-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Aug 2019 06:33:00 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader on Sunday promised to do a better job connecting with the city’s young people, many of whom have joined the heated anti-government protests that have gripped the city for more than two months. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, speaking at the closing ceremony of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) training camp for university students, stressed that her administration placed great value on its dialogue and engagement with local youth. “My colleagues and I will be more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022337/chief-executive-carrie-lam-vows-do-better-job-connecting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022337/chief-executive-carrie-lam-vows-do-better-job-connecting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Aug 2019 11:55:24 +0000 As the social unrest over the now-abandoned extradition bill continues to rock Hong Kong, escalating tension has led to violent clashes between anti-government protesters and police. The force has used a mix of crowd control weapons to disperse people. Some riot weapons were used in earlier protests while others were introduced for the first time with effects and power little known to the public. There are no legal provisions that authorise the specific use of non-lethal weapons by law... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3022189/what-are-weapons-hong-kong-police-use-anti-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3022189/what-are-weapons-hong-kong-police-use-anti-government?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Aug 2019 04:00:11 +0000 Renne Lai has a rather unusual wish for her son. She hopes 21-year-old HeiHei Tsang Long-hei can stay in secondary school forever. The 53-year-old is among a group of parents who prefer their mentally disabled children get a retention at school, because once graduated, the youngsters immediately face long queues for a place at a government- ­subsidised hostel, with some waiting nearly 19 years. She helped Tsang apply for public hostels when he became eligible at 15. But she is in no rush to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3022215/how-hong-kongs-subsidised-hostels-struggle-provide-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3022215/how-hong-kongs-subsidised-hostels-struggle-provide-care?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Aug 2019 02:00:14 +0000 More than a hundred frontline journalists covering recent unrest in Hong Kong have reported breathing problems, skin allergies and other issues after repeated exposure to tear gas, a survey has found. The online self-reporting survey, conducted by a group of doctors, also suggested that reporters were more likely to have suffered severe skin reactions and gastrointestinal symptoms after exposure at recent protests than after those in June. These findings came as doubts swirled over the use of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022231/tear-gas-exposure-extradition-bill-protests-causing-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3022231/tear-gas-exposure-extradition-bill-protests-causing-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2019 15:01:29 +0000 Pan-democrat legislators have called on some of the more radical protesters in the leaderless anti-extradition movement to calm down and rethink their strategy, or risk playing into the government’s hands. NeoDemocrat lawmaker Gary Fan Kwok-wai also accused the government of fuelling the clashes between residents from both sides by branding the protests a separatist movement. He was speaking a day after Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said in a press conference that the protesters... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3021713/pan-democrat-lawmakers-call-protesters-calm-down-avoid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3021713/pan-democrat-lawmakers-call-protesters-calm-down-avoid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2019 02:00:24 +0000 When Gigi Tsang Wing-chi first interviewed people with hearing difficulties to work in her coffee shop, learning to communicate was a challenge and the first candidates all rejected her job offer. Tsang, 39, later found out the interviewees, reading her facial expressions, feared she did not trust their abilities and were not willing to work with her. “I was only worried about my ability to work with them, not the way they thought. After that, I was even more afraid of interviewing people with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3021226/coffee-universal-language-shop-owner-gigi-tsang-and-joanna?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3021226/coffee-universal-language-shop-owner-gigi-tsang-and-joanna?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2019 02:00:18 +0000 A group of Hong Kong psychiatrists have volunteered to provide free or low cost mental health services for people affected by the recent social unrest in the city. Describing the mental pressure faced by the city’s residents as more serious than during the Occupy movement in 2014, the Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists announced it would launch the new ‘Care4ALL’ mental health programme next week. The scheme, which will run until February, will aim to provide preliminary assessment and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3020703/hong-kong-psychiatrists-volunteer-help-city-heal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3020703/hong-kong-psychiatrists-volunteer-help-city-heal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jul 2019 13:51:32 +0000 When 22-year-olds Winky Law Wing-ki and Jeffrey Kwong Ka-lok started their experimental umbrella-sharing project at Chinese University three years ago, they weren’t expecting the results to be so frustrating: the 40 umbrellas, meant to be returned and reused, disappeared in a month never to return. The idea behind the mission was simple but meaningful – after all, many Hongkongers view the humble umbrella as a potent symbol of the city’s recent protests. In the beginning, the project – known as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3020267/hong-kong-duo-pushes-city-start-sharing-umbrellas-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3020267/hong-kong-duo-pushes-city-start-sharing-umbrellas-now?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jul 2019 03:00:16 +0000 Yuen Long residents stockpiled food on Friday, with some even leaving Hong Kong altogether, to brace for potential clashes at protests against mob violence at the district’s subway station a week earlier. Fears heightened locally as police expected as many as 100,000 people to march on Saturday to denounce Sunday’s violence, even though police objected to three rallies, citing safety concerns. Shops and public sports facilities were expected to close early while betting shops, a blood donation... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3020301/safety-measures-and-stockpiled-food-yuen-long-braces-march?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3020301/safety-measures-and-stockpiled-food-yuen-long-braces-march?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jul 2019 00:00:09 +0000 Two popular youth-focused expos are returning to Hong Kong, with organisers scrambling to attract crowds of gamers and anime aficionados – despite the threat of more extradition bill protests. The third E-Sports and Music Festival and 21st Ani-Com Hong Kong kick off on Friday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. The e-sports event runs until Sunday, with the Ani-Com – short for animation-comic-game – ending on Tuesday. Mason Hung Chung-hing, a Hong Kong Tourism Board... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3020126/e-sports-cosplay-manga-and-more-offer-e-sports-and-music?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3020126/e-sports-cosplay-manga-and-more-offer-e-sports-and-music?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2019 22:00:13 +0000 A cook caught up in shocking violence in a northern Hong Kong district on Sunday night has recalled the horrendous experience of his journey home. Calvin So, 23, had finished work at a restaurant in Yoho Mall, the shopping centre next to Yuen Long MTR station in northwestern Hong Kong, and was walking towards an exit just after 9.45pm. He was attacked by a group of men after simply saying: “There are lots of people in white clothes here.” “Some people approached me. Soon after, a person... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3019725/cook-caught-shocking-violence-hong-kong-mtr-station?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3019725/cook-caught-shocking-violence-hong-kong-mtr-station?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2019 06:26:09 +0000 Bryan Chan was reading children’s books to a group of toddlers when one child asked him a question: “Why do you wear women’s clothing?” The toddler asked because Chan, 44, was wearing a curly blond wig, a luxurious ruffle dress and a pair of eight-inch stiletto heels. Also known as Coco Pop, Chan is one of Hong Kong’s most acclaimed home-grown drag queens. The man behind the moniker answered the child with another question: “Have you ever played a tree, or a fish, in your school play?” The child... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3019341/hong-kong-drag-queen-coco-pop-says-local-cross-dressing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3019341/hong-kong-drag-queen-coco-pop-says-local-cross-dressing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2019 08:00:10 +0000 With Bruce Lee’s former Hong Kong mansion set to be torn down to make way for a Chinese studies centre in two weeks’ time, a fan club of the late kung fu legend has launched an international petition to urge the government to preserve the home, with the owner of the building offering no objection. Wong Yiu-keung, chairman of the Bruce Lee Club, said at a press conference on Friday: “The building symbolises our collective memory of Bruce Lee, which should be treasured by Hong Kong people and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3019386/bruce-lee-fan-club-appeals-hong-kong-government-save-kung-fu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3019386/bruce-lee-fan-club-appeals-hong-kong-government-save-kung-fu?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:22:41 +0000 A study into ways to boost immunity to influenza and reduce its transmission has received HK$50 million funding from the Hong Kong government, the largest sum allocated to university research projects this year. “Hong Kong suffers an influenza epidemic every year, some years bigger, some years smaller, and we don’t really understand why,” said Professor Benjamin Cowling at the University of Hong Kong, who will lead the five-year study. “[We hope] we can have more advanced warnings of how serious... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3019035/flu-study-reduce-spread-virus-and-boost-immunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3019035/flu-study-reduce-spread-virus-and-boost-immunity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jul 2019 02:00:13 +0000 The police commissioner has strongly condemned the violence that broke out in the northern Hong Kong town of Sha Tin on Sunday night, which left 22 people in hospital including six in either critical or serious condition, as of Monday morning. Vowing to track down those responsible for the clashes and hold them accountable, Stephen Lo Wai-chung described protesters involved in the pitched battles at shopping centres as “rioters”. The force said 20 men and 17 women were arrested during the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018579/hong-kong-police-chief-condemns-thug-protesters-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018579/hong-kong-police-chief-condemns-thug-protesters-after?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jul 2019 01:42:22 +0000 Hong Kong’s first citywide renewable energy programme has received thousands of applications since it was launched six months ago – but some say the solar power plan brings legal and safety risks. Local electricity giant CLP Power, which supplies Kowloon, New Territories and Lantau Island, said on Friday that by May it had received over 3,400 applications for the new “feed-in tariff” scheme and 80 per cent had been approved. HK Electric, which supplies Hong Kong and Lamma islands, said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3018484/hong-kong-governments-feed-tariff-plan-renewable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3018484/hong-kong-governments-feed-tariff-plan-renewable?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jul 2019 11:00:05 +0000 Hong Kong has a varied cast of ancient deities.  But there is one god so popular that both police and gangsters worship him: Duke Guan, also known as Emperor Guan. He is based on a historical figure, named Guan Yu. Duke Guan features prominently in Hong Kong popular culture, from the famous Young and Dangerous film series to TV dramas. Shrines to Duke Guan are commonly found in restaurants, shops, police stations and even thieves’ lairs. There are also numerous martial temples and shrines... https://www.scmp.com/arts/why-guan-yu-worshipped-asia-police-gangsters-and-businessmen-alike/article/3018161?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/arts/why-guan-yu-worshipped-asia-police-gangsters-and-businessmen-alike/article/3018161?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2019 11:03:35 +0000 Tears, laughter and despair filled school campuses across Hong Kong on Tuesday morning when tens of thousands of Primary Six students and their anxious parents learned which secondary school the children would go to in September. Among the tearful students were Anthea Yeung Hoi-ting and her best friend Ella Tam Wing-yi, who both studied at St Patrick’s School in Lok Fu and picked the same secondary schools as their top three choices. Almost every primary school pupil spends more than an hour on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3017915/tears-and-joy-hong-kong-primary-six-students-find-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3017915/tears-and-joy-hong-kong-primary-six-students-find-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jul 2019 11:18:29 +0000 Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is installing the city’s largest solar power system, which will generate 70 per cent more clean electricity than the biggest such facility at present. The theme park on Lantau is setting up more than 4,500 solar cells aiming to produce at least 1.86 megawatts-hour (MWh) of electricity per year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 564 three-person households, senior officials said on Monday. The solar cells will be placed at the rooftop of its... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3017760/hong-kongs-disneyland-resort-aims-become-citys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3017760/hong-kongs-disneyland-resort-aims-become-citys?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jul 2019 00:00:26 +0000 Kyle Yip Wang-kui found his route to university barred 17 years ago when he failed to get good marks on a public exam, but that was not the end of the road for him. “University is not the only way out. Only through trying various routes, can you find the most suitable one for yourself,” Yip said, as he gave advice to students waiting for their Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examination (DSE) results last Wednesday. Yip recalled how he faced the crossroads of life when he got poor... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3017777/hong-kong-engineer-who-could-not-make-it-university-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3017777/hong-kong-engineer-who-could-not-make-it-university-after?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2019 14:39:28 +0000 As hundreds of thousands throng Hong Kong’s streets in the annual pro-democracy march on July 1, fuelled by opposition to the now-suspended extradition bill, Zain Syed, 25, a British-born Pakistani, is among protesters fighting for the future of his adopted home. Clad in black, the colour adopted by demonstrators, Syed is exhausted from the searing heat and crowds, and has not eaten since waking up. He is among ethnic minority members in the city – an often marginalised group – who stand with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3017348/how-extradition-bill-protests-have-united-locals-and-ethnic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3017348/how-extradition-bill-protests-have-united-locals-and-ethnic?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jul 2019 02:45:09 +0000 Hong Kong has a varied cast of ancient deities. But there is one god so popular that both police and gangsters worship him: Duke Guan, also known as Emperor Guan. He is not only a mythical character but also based on a historical figure, named Guan Yu. Duke Guan features prominently in Hong Kong popular culture, from the famous Young and Dangerous film series to TV dramas. Shrines to Duke Guan are commonly found in restaurants, shops, police stations and even thieves’ lairs. There are also... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3017346/revered-police-gangsters-and-businessmen-warrior-deity-duke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3017346/revered-police-gangsters-and-businessmen-warrior-deity-duke?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jul 2019 02:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong education officials have defended the controversial school subject liberal studies, saying it should not be blamed for violent protests over the extradition bill as a former leader had suggested. “There is no proof that liberal studies causes students to take radical actions,” Wendy Au Wan-sze, principal assistant secretary for education, said on Thursday. Former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, now vice-chairman of China’s top political advisory body, had said on Wednesday the subject... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3017321/education-officials-defend-controversial-liberal-studies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3017321/education-officials-defend-controversial-liberal-studies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2019 13:57:54 +0000 As a rule, July 1 in Hong Kong is a peaceful day, a time to celebrate the city’s freedoms on the anniversary of its return to Chinese rule in 1997. This time it was different. Instead of calm demonstrations, Monday unfolded in a series of escalating clashes, outbursts and destruction. It was a day of anger and solidarity with an estimated 550,000 black-clad protesters taking to the streets to denounce the government. The day of unrest began at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, but its causes... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3016836/anatomy-divided-city-extradition-protesters-say-frustration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3016836/anatomy-divided-city-extradition-protesters-say-frustration?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2019 14:50:35 +0000 The annual celebration to mark the handover anniversary at Victoria Park fell victim to tensions over the government’s now-suspended extradition bill, with two-thirds of the booths closing hours early because of low visitor numbers and some operators opting to join a protest march in the afternoon. The Greater Bay Festival, a three-day event that started on Saturday to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China, was supposed to open from 11am to 9pm on Monday, featuring... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3016793/handover-celebration-festival-feels-pinch-hong-kong-july-1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3016793/handover-celebration-festival-feels-pinch-hong-kong-july-1?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2019 09:10:56 +0000 To erotic shop owner Vera Lui Wing-hang, receiving her first sex toy in her 20s from her boyfriend changed her attitude completely. Lui, 32, who says her schooling lacked proper sex education, is surprised by how vibrators and other toys could serve as a tool to explore one’s own body, and as a facilitator to a relationship. In 2010, driven by a desire to share what she had learned about sexuality, she decided to open a female-friendly sex toy shop that combines education with a private shopping... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3016545/hong-kong-sex-shops-sallys-toy-and-take-toy-appealing-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3016545/hong-kong-sex-shops-sallys-toy-and-take-toy-appealing-new?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jun 2019 06:30:11 +0000 Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, fresh out of jail on Monday, said he would join the fight of millions of Hongkongers against the highly contentious extradition bill until the government backs down. The founder of political group Demosisto, who returned to prison in May to finish his two-month term for contempt of court, made the pledge as he was released from jail on Monday morning. Wearing a white shirt and black trousers, he was greeted by more than 10 members of Demosisto who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3014797/pro-democracy-student-activist-joshua-wong-leaves-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3014797/pro-democracy-student-activist-joshua-wong-leaves-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2019 05:30:08 +0000 Protesters campaigning for the withdrawal of the controversial Hong Kong extradition bill returned to MTR stations on Friday, dressed in black and urging passengers to disrupt services, students to skip classes and office workers to go on strike. After causing delays on the MTR on Thursday, demonstrators called for services to be disrupted at Kowloon Tong and Central stations, while hundreds of people dressed in black appeared in a silent protest at Kowloon Tong. Seven members of pro-democracy... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3014459/hong-kong-protesters-return-mtr-stations-urging-passengers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3014459/hong-kong-protesters-return-mtr-stations-urging-passengers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jun 2019 03:17:06 +0000 An injured teacher from Hong Kong’s well-known Diocesan Girls’ School and three other local men were arrested in public hospitals for rioting on Wednesday evening, hours after clashes between anti-extradition protesters and police outside the legislature and government headquarters. The four were among 11 people arrested after the protests for offences including disorderly behaviour in a public place, illegal assembly, assaulting police and other riot-related offences. The teacher, named as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3014356/teacher-prominent-hong-kong-school-among-four-arrested?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3014356/teacher-prominent-hong-kong-school-among-four-arrested?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2019 08:26:54 +0000 More Primary Three pupils sat a revised citywide school assessment this year, according to a teachers’ union, although the children appeared to have found the tests less stressful than before. The Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU) surveyed 401 teachers and 395 schools in May. Of these, 234 schools said they made all their Primary Three pupils sit the controversial Territory-wide System Assessment, compared with 201 schools in 2018. All government-funded schools must join the assessment but can... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3014113/more-hong-kong-pupils-taking-controversial-tsa-exams-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3014113/more-hong-kong-pupils-taking-controversial-tsa-exams-city?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jun 2019 23:30:13 +0000 Hongkongers took to the water across the city on Friday for the annual dragon boat races, with younger, more diverse crews very much in evidence in the various regattas. The city’s main race, the Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships, took place in the harbour town on the south of Hong Kong Island, with teams lining out from 8am in scorching temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius. The race is part of the Tuen Ng Festival, which takes place on the main beach on the fifth day of the fifth... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3013550/diversity-and-inclusion-theme-day-crews-battle-it-out-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3013550/diversity-and-inclusion-theme-day-crews-battle-it-out-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jun 2019 06:05:19 +0000 The price of pork is expected to more than double at Hong Kong’s markets on Friday with the meat in high demand during the Dragon Boat Festival and the city’s main slaughterhouse reopening following a shutdown caused by African swine fever. The government shut Sheung Shui slaughterhouse last Friday night, its second closure in a month, after health authorities detected the virus in a dead pig. The animal had been imported from Meizhou in the mainland Chinese province of Guangdong. Thousands of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3013372/higher-pork-prices-hongkongers-during-dragon-boat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3013372/higher-pork-prices-hongkongers-during-dragon-boat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jun 2019 06:38:06 +0000