https://www.scmp.com/rss/50820/feed test for Johhny Tam en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Click here to access the multimedia site https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1600809/multimedia-living-heritage-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1600809/multimedia-living-heritage-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2014 11:45:15 +0000 Outdoor activities seem doomed this weekend with heavy showers and strong winds brought by Typhoon Rammasun expected to hit Hong Kong today and last until Monday. The No 3 typhoon signal, indicating strong winds, was hoisted yesterday afternoon as the storm churned across the South China Sea after cutting a swathe through the Philippines. But the Observatory said higher storm signals were unlikely, despite Rammasun intensifying slightly and edging closer to the South China coast last night. At... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1555848/weekend-washout-likely-rammasun-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1555848/weekend-washout-likely-rammasun-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2014 21:15:00 +0000 Two people remained in hospital last night after air turbulence tossed passengers and crew around a Hong Kong-bound jet yesterday, injuring 20. Witnesses told of passengers being thrown out of their seats and hitting the ceiling and overhead lockers of the South African Airways Airbus after it encountered what the airline termed "severe turbulence" over Malaysia. David Mkumbuje, who was travelling alone on a business trip to Guangzhou, said the rough patch lasted several minutes. "It was like... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1555346/22-injured-severe-turbulence-hits-hong-kong-bound-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1555346/22-injured-severe-turbulence-hits-hong-kong-bound-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2014 05:30:30 +0000 Teenage Scholarism leader Joshua Wong revealed yesterday that he plans to appeal some of his DSE exam results and that he was "disappointed" in his failure to get a starred grade in his Liberal Studies paper. Interest in his grades was so intense yesterday that he was forced to call a press conference to make an announcement. Both Wong and fellow activist Agnes Chow Ting obtained results better than the university entry requirements in the Diploma of Secondary Education exams. As an activist who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1554033/scholarism-leader-joshua-wong-planning-appeal-some-dse-exam-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1554033/scholarism-leader-joshua-wong-planning-appeal-some-dse-exam-results?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2014 08:00:45 +0000 A record 12 high-flying students have stood out from this year's Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) examination, as the percentage of students meeting the basic requirements for local university admission increased. The 12 pupils - seven boys and five girls - got seven level 5**, or high distinction, marks. That puts them in the top 1 per cent for their subjects, according to figures released yesterday by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. There were nine top-scoring... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1553402/12-stand-out-university-crowd-seven-5-grades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1553402/12-stand-out-university-crowd-seven-5-grades?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2014 10:45:45 +0000 Pan-democratic lawmakers have slammed Britain's twice-yearly report on Hong Kong as "weak" and "avoiding embarrassing Beijing" after it did not express a view on Beijing's white paper asserting its authority over the city. "The UK government's position is clear: Hong Kong's unique constitutional framework has worked well," British Foreign Secretary William Hague wrote in his 23-page report to the parliament on affairs in the former colony. Hague's report came after the State Council's white... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1551331/uk-report-hong-kong-avoids-embarrassing-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1551331/uk-report-hong-kong-avoids-embarrassing-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2014 12:45:15 +0000 Only a third of pupils who took the Diploma of Secondary Education examination are confident of getting into university, although more than half believe a bachelor's degree is a necessity, a youth group's poll has found. The phone survey conducted by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups last month found that only 34 per cent of the 628 DSE pupils polled were positive they could secure a place in university with their results. Fifty-four per cent did not think their results would be good... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1550582/only-30pc-confident-about-getting-university-poll-finds-ahead-exam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1550582/only-30pc-confident-about-getting-university-poll-finds-ahead-exam?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2014 20:30:09 +0000 Parents of pupils who failed to secure a Form One place at the school of their choice yesterday slammed an agreement among some schools that barred them from seeking a transfer. But educators have defended the industry-initiated policy, saying it is necessary to maintain school standards and to prevent some from closing down because of a lack of pupils. Principals of secondary schools in Tuen Mun, Sha Tin and Eastern districts have agreed not to reserve Form One places for pupils seeking a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1549888/parents-angry-schools-block-form-one-transfers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1549888/parents-angry-schools-block-form-one-transfers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2014 20:15:00 +0000 Almost 80 per cent of public secondary schools in East Kowloon are not up to Education Bureau standards, a study by the Post has found, prompting warnings from educators that children's education is being put at risk. They accused the Education Bureau of favouring elite international schools when new campus sites become available, and said the state of the schools cast doubt on plans to revive the area through a grandiose redevelopment of the Kai Tak airport site. The Post studied Education... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1544449/ageing-east-kowloon-school-campuses-miss-government-standards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1544449/ageing-east-kowloon-school-campuses-miss-government-standards?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2014 19:15:15 +0000 Organisers and police traded barbs over the slow progress of yesterday's march. Police accused the Civil Human Rights Front of deliberately making slow progress and warned of possible legal action against the protest organiser, while the front said the police caused a bottleneck by not opening more lanes for the marchers. While the march was largely peaceful, a high-profile student activist claimed he was pushed to the ground by a police officer, and a policeman was injured in scuffles. Joshua... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1544593/organisers-and-police-point-fingers-over-slow-progress-july-1-march?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1544593/organisers-and-police-point-fingers-over-slow-progress-july-1-march?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2014 19:15:15 +0000 Marchers turned out in the heat and pouring rain with the usual array of demands, but two key issues predominated: a desire for genuine universal suffrage and for Beijing to keep to its promise of "one country, two systems". Angered by the State Council's white paper declaring its "comprehensive jurisdiction" over the city, and by the dysfunctional legislature, some also said they would join the overnight sit-in by student activists. Despite torrential downpours, swarms of protesters... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1544528/carnival-spirit-prevails-march?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1544528/carnival-spirit-prevails-march?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2014 19:15:15 +0000 A burst water main disrupted services on the East Rail Line yesterday, prompting lengthy delays for hundreds of passengers just one day after the rail operator increased its fares. The damaged pipe shot a jet of water some 20 metres into the air - high enough to hit the overhead electricity cables close to Fo Tan station and cause a power failure that disrupted services for almost two hours. Services between Sha Tin and Tai Po Market were completely suspended for about an hour after the pipe... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1543607/east-rail-train-service-delayed-burst-pipe-shoots-water-tracks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1543607/east-rail-train-service-delayed-burst-pipe-shoots-water-tracks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2014 09:00:15 +0000 Police are investigating the death of a woman who lost consciousness after undergoing liposuction at a private clinic specialising in hair transplants yesterday. While the cause of death is still under investigation, the case is the latest in a series of tragedies involving medical procedures at private clinics. It prompted calls for the government to act on its promise to tighten regulations on beauty salons and private clinics. The woman, dance teacher Lee Ka-ying, 32, underwent the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1541106/woman-dies-after-receiving-liposuction-hair-treatment-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1541106/woman-dies-after-receiving-liposuction-hair-treatment-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:48:40 +0000 A parents' group has launched an online petition against the State Council's white paper on Hong Kong, saying it breaks the promises that Beijing made in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and Basic Law. "As parents who grew up and raised our children in Hong Kong, if we don't take action to defend 'one country, two systems', we'll be ashamed to face our next generations," said Eva Chan Sik-chee, convenor of the Parents' Concern Group on National Education. The group fought off plans for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1540518/parents-white-paper-petition-next-generation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1540518/parents-white-paper-petition-next-generation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2014 20:00:00 +0000 The deadly 1967 riots are seen by many as a watershed in Hong Kong's history - but for drama director Wu Hoi-fai, the days of havoc hold another message: resorting to violence won't help. "The lesson of history is when people resort to violence, no one, especially Hongkongers, will buy it," said Wu, artistic director of Pants Theatre Production. Wu's group is creating a drama about the disturbances that intensified anti-communist feeling in Hong Kong and entrenched divisions between the left and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1539065/tensions-1967-riots-echo-today-says-director-new-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1539065/tensions-1967-riots-echo-today-says-director-new-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jun 2014 20:30:30 +0000 The Occupy Central movement for democracy yesterday gave as good as it got from state media, describing as laughable an editorial that called its unofficial referendum on Hong Kong's electoral reform ludicrous. Organisers of the ongoing citywide poll dismissed criticism from state-run tabloid Global Times that the voter turnout - 728,601 by midnight last night - was "no match" for the 1.3 billion population in the whole of China. That view was laughable, and disregarded the "one country, two... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1538799/occupy-central-thumbs-nose-state-medias-use-13b-population-criticise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1538799/occupy-central-thumbs-nose-state-medias-use-13b-population-criticise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jun 2014 04:00:45 +0000 Nine out of 10 voters at Occupy Central's polling stations believe the public must have a say in who can run in the next chief executive election, a mini-poll by the South China Morning Post found. The survey also found that half of respondents say that it was Beijing's contentious white paper on Hong Kong that drove them to the polls. A quarter of them say they will take part in the civil disobedience movement, while half say they are considering it or are unsure. The survey, held at seven of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1538500/our-voice-must-be-heard-say-voters-unofficial-occupy-central?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1538500/our-voice-must-be-heard-say-voters-unofficial-occupy-central?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jun 2014 21:00:00 +0000 The city's first direct subsidy school has been without a permanent home since its founding in 1965 because of government restrictions that effectively exclude it from site allocation exercises, parents say. St Margaret's Girls' College is to move out of its Caine Road campus next month as it is unable to afford the new lease of HK$400,000 per month from September 1 - a doubling of the rent it was paying in the 2010-11 academic year. As the secondary school prepares to relocate from Mid-Levels... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1536414/parents-seek-permanent-home-school?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1536414/parents-seek-permanent-home-school?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2014 18:43:50 +0000 Hongkongers' determination to wipe out corruption has rallied despite their support for the Independent Commission Against Corruption hitting its lowest for at least a decade, an annual survey commissioned by the anti-graft agency has found. Although still high, the figure of 95.6 per cent of respondents believing the ICAC deserved their support showed a drop from 98.7 per cent in the previous year. A decade earlier, the figure stood at 99.3 per cent. A total of 1,482 people were randomly polled... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1535759/scandal-over-tong-dents-icac-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1535759/scandal-over-tong-dents-icac-support?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2014 18:50:31 +0000 It's no surprise that Cantonese opera, egg tarts, pineapple buns and milk tea have made it on to the final list of Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage. They are among 480 "items" of "intangible cultural heritage" that the city is vowing to safeguard. The inventory is the culmination of seven years' work by government-appointed researchers and also includes such traditions as umbrella making, Hakka folk songs, the making of snake wine and kung fu. The list also reflects the diverse nature... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1534746/cantonese-opera-dim-sum-and-diwali-hong-kong-lists-its-cultural?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1534746/cantonese-opera-dim-sum-and-diwali-hong-kong-lists-its-cultural?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jun 2014 08:45:00 +0000 The deputy chairman of the Legislative Council House Committee yesterday questioned why police entered the Legco building last Friday, when a protest against the government's development plan for the northeastern New Territories turned ugly. Civic Party lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah said: "I only asked the police to stay outside the Legislative Council building to prevent protesters forcing their way into the building. I did not give any consent for the police to enter our building." His comments... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1534267/why-did-officers-enter-legco-building?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1534267/why-did-officers-enter-legco-building?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:30:45 +0000 As families across Hong Kong gathered to celebrate Father's Day yesterday, the Ng family were hoping that their temporary union will soon become more permanent. Present yesterday were Ng Sing, 43, his father, 81 - who both live in Hong Kong - and Ng's older brother, 57, who lives on the mainland. Ng Sing came to Hong Kong with his mother in 1992 to reunite with his father, who had arrived in the city from Fujian province 14 years earlier. But back in 1992, his older brother was not allowed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1533465/divided-family-enjoys-short-reunion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1533465/divided-family-enjoys-short-reunion?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2014 20:53:19 +0000 Cutting the number of solo travellers to Hong Kong will hinder the city's economic growth but only in the short term, according to a think tank's economic simulation. Andy Kwan Cheuk-chiu, director of the ACE Centre for Business and Economic Research, projected that if the government reduced the number of mainland individual travellers by 20 per cent, the city's real gross domestic product "will immediately drop drastically" in the worst-case scenario. However, the economist said the impact... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1530931/economic-impact-reducing-mainland-tourist-numbers-hong-kong-only?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1530931/economic-impact-reducing-mainland-tourist-numbers-hong-kong-only?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2014 11:15:30 +0000 Papier-mâché pandas were already winning the hearts of Hongkongers as they checked in at the airport yesterday. But their creator says he hopes fans focus on conservation, not cuteness. About 400 of the 1,600 panda sculptures - one for every panda left in the wild - appeared in the arrivals hall at Chek Lap Kok to start a "tour" of the city - and excited passengers were quick to snap pictures with them. But French sculptor Paulo Grangeon would rather the fans thought about how to save real... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1528747/pandas-arrive-offer-conservation-message-thats-black-and-white?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1528747/pandas-arrive-offer-conservation-message-thats-black-and-white?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2014 19:22:36 +0000 Hongkongers' attitudes towards death have gradually changed in the past seven years, with 10 per cent fewer believing that talking about death to a dying person will hasten their demise, a survey conducted by the University of Hong Kong has found. About 38 per cent of respondents thought recently bereaved families should be socially inactive - a 6.8 per cent drop compared with 2007. Dying without being survived by a son was not a disgrace for 93.5 per cent of those surveyed, compared to 13.5 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1528160/hongkongers-take-new-view-old-certainty-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1528160/hongkongers-take-new-view-old-certainty-death?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Jun 2014 19:00:30 +0000 The English Schools Foundation is under fire from parents after revealing plans to impose a non- refundable one-off charge of up to HK$38,000 on new students from next year in its struggle to make ends meet. ESF chief executive Belinda Greer said the new charge would replace an existing refundable levy that could no longer provide enough funds for replacement or renovation of its schools. She said it was a means to "secure a long-term future for ESF in Hong Kong", but parents said it was a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1525960/esf-set-charge-parents-new-pupils-hk38000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1525960/esf-set-charge-parents-new-pupils-hk38000?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jun 2014 08:15:30 +0000 It was 25 years ago today that the People's Liberation Army rolled into Tiananmen Square to end a student movement that had briefly raised hopes of democratic reform in the world's most populous nation. The event sent shockwaves around the world - not least in Hong Kong, which was eight years away from its handover from Britain to China. Watch: Hong Kong hosts China's largest -- and only -- 25th anniversary Tiananmen remembrance rally Since then, Hongkongers have marked the crackdown with a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1525282/live-blog-tiananmen-square-25th-anniversary-vigil-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1525282/live-blog-tiananmen-square-25th-anniversary-vigil-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jun 2014 09:00:45 +0000 Democracy activists are not allowing the rift in the pan-democrat camp to fragment support for the annual Tiananmen Square memorial vigil in Victoria Park. And they hope that attendees at this year’s event will focus on the 1989 pro-democracy movement as well as the bloody June 4 crackdown that ended it. Three groups – the Federation of Students, Scholarism and People Power – say they will continue to back the June 4 event despite their row with other democrats, in particular the Democratic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1524378/democracy-activists-unite-support-june-4-vigil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1524378/democracy-activists-unite-support-june-4-vigil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jun 2014 03:45:30 +0000 Children are stressed out by academic pressure even before they start primary school, a survey of parents of kindergarten pupils has found. Some 65 per cent of the 683 parents contacted by Wofoo Social Enterprises said their children, aged four or five, were feeling the strain of their leap from kindergarten to primary school, which they start later this year. The need to attend different after-school classes and extracurricular activities in order to secure a place at an elite school meant... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1523993/academic-stress-starts-early-study-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1523993/academic-stress-starts-early-study-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2014 19:15:45 +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 Hong Kong's charity rules have come under fire after it was revealed the parent company of an international school is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The Nord Anglia school in Lam Tin is registered as a charity under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance, meaning it is exempted from tax. It also qualified for the government's land grant scheme, under which international schools are given sites for a nominal fee, usually of about HK$1,000. But the South China Morning Post has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1524102/tax-free-status-hong-kongs-international-schools-attacked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1524102/tax-free-status-hong-kongs-international-schools-attacked?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:30:15 +0000 What began as a peaceful Sunday morning turned into a high-tension drama featuring explosives, gunshots, stun grenades, tear gas and a public display of skill by the elite "Flying Tigers" unit. Residents of Lok Ching House had assumed the shooting was over after an air-conditioning technician was shot dead late on Saturday night. Little did they know that the suspect was still at large in the tower block. "Do I need to get myself one of those bulletproof vests too?" asked resident Mr Chan, 67,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1523393/leave-now-take-cover-youre-firing-range-behind-scenes-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1523393/leave-now-take-cover-youre-firing-range-behind-scenes-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jun 2014 21:20:49 +0000 Residents of the Kai Tak public housing estate where yesterday's fatal shoot-out took place have questioned the handling of the incident by police, saying they were kept in the dark and asking why only the floor where the gunman lived was cordoned off. Some serving and former police officers also criticised the live television coverage of the unfolding drama, saying it could have jeopardised the operation. But police said they did not cordon off the entire Lok Ching House building or evacuate... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1523391/kai-tak-shoot-out-residents-say-there-were-kept-dark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1523391/kai-tak-shoot-out-residents-say-there-were-kept-dark?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jun 2014 21:15:45 +0000 Actress Vicky Lam Wing-yee, 20, wasn't born at the time of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, but she wants to make sure its history is not obliterated. That is why she has joined an annual theatre production with the bloodshed 25 years ago as its theme. "Although I was not born at that time, as a Chinese and a Hongkonger, I don't want this incident - part of our history - to be forgotten," said Lam, a cast member of Stage64, the theatre group that produces the annual show. "I want to know... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1521365/young-actors-embrace-spirit-wang-dan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1521365/young-actors-embrace-spirit-wang-dan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2014 20:15:00 +0000 Hong Kong should consider introducing indirect taxes and importing more workers to cope with the strain caused by an ageing population, the former commerce minister says. It was an "indisputable fact" that economic growth would slow as an elderly population caused government expenses to rise but tax revenues to fall, Frederick Ma Si-hang told a financial sector luncheon yesterday. "If we do nothing, we'll have to use our fiscal reserves," said Ma, who resigned as secretary for commerce and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1519748/fred-ma-calls-widening-tax-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1519748/fred-ma-calls-widening-tax-base?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 May 2014 20:22:15 +0000 Everyone would be entitled to a flat-rate monthly pension from the age of 65 under an option being considered by an expert commissioned to lead a year-long government study of retirement proposals. The proposed scheme, details of which are being worked out by Professor Nelson Chow Wing-sun, would replace the existing old-age allowance and old-age living allowance schemes. The University of Hong Kong social work professor has hinted that higher taxes may be needed to pay for the pensions. Chow... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1519826/plan-flat-rate-monthly-pension-all-over-65s-proposed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1519826/plan-flat-rate-monthly-pension-all-over-65s-proposed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 May 2014 20:15:15 +0000 Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying today said that a 20 per cent cut in the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong was only one option being considered by a key government appointed advisory body. Speaking before an Executive Council meeting this morning, Leung said there could be a need for what he called “demand management” of tourist numbers before any decision is made on Hong Kong’s visitor capacity. “[It is about] whether [we should] slow down the increase of visitors, or stop it, or reduce... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1519766/cutting-mainland-visitor-numbers-20pc-too-drastic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1519766/cutting-mainland-visitor-numbers-20pc-too-drastic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 May 2014 20:15:15 +0000 Thousands of people took to the streets of Macau yesterday to protest against a bill that would give a generous retirement package to the city's outgoing chief executive and top officials. "It's the biggest march since the handover, which shows that people have had enough," said Sulu Sou Ka-hou, a member of the group Macau Conscience, which organised the march. "How can a government submit a bill to the legislature without consulting its people?" The group said more than 20,000 people marched... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1519593/thousands-rally-macau-over-government-retirement-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1519593/thousands-rally-macau-over-government-retirement-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 May 2014 21:17:07 +0000 Art aficionados flooded the last day of Art Basel Hong Kong's exhibition yesterday with some galleries reporting million-dollar sales thanks to "more sophisticated" visitors. About 65,000 people attended the four-day event at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai - nearly 10 per cent more than last year when the fair made its debut in Hong Kong. Sean Kelly, owner of Sean Kelly Gallery in New York, said: "The market is becoming much more sophisticated - also the people who are... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1515156/art-basel-hong-kong-wows-sophisticated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1515156/art-basel-hong-kong-wows-sophisticated?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 May 2014 21:00:30 +0000 The education minister yesterday urged schools not to encourage their pupils to take part in Occupy Central - which he deems "unlawful" - in a reversal of the stance he declared last year. The civil disobedience campaign for democracy is also the trigger behind a warning that a pro-establishment group has issued to more than 500 secondary schools, reminding them of their legal responsibilities. Teachers and democracy advocates saw the latest remarks by Education Secretary Eddie Ng Hak-kim as an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1512218/occupy-central-no-go-area-class-eddie-ng-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1512218/occupy-central-no-go-area-class-eddie-ng-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2014 20:00:30 +0000 A new obstacle has been thrown in front of government plans to build 470,000 flats in the next decade. Kwun Tong district councillors yesterday threatened to oppose proposals to rezone nine sites in Kwun Tong to accommodate thousands of public and private flats unless they received more information on how the district's services would cope. This followed similar reservations from councillors in Kwai Tsing last week and previously in Sham Shui Po and Tai Po. "We need a holistic review of how our... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1511457/further-hurdle-governments-plan-build-470000-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1511457/further-hurdle-governments-plan-build-470000-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2014 20:00:50 +0000 Adding five or six pupils to every Primary One class in three districts for the coming school year would compromise the quality of small-class learning, a teachers' union says. The Professional Teachers' Union said a new policy aimed at increasing Primary One places to cater to an influx of children born in Hong Kong to mainland mothers and a higher local birth rate in 2012 was a short-term solution for a long-term problem. "The rising demand in districts close to the border may be transitional... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1509933/larger-primary-one-classes-will-affect-teaching-quality-says-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1509933/larger-primary-one-classes-will-affect-teaching-quality-says-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 May 2014 20:45:46 +0000 Hongkongers have been borrowing fewer books from public libraries over the past five years - with the city's obsession with smartphones being blamed for steering people away from literary pursuits. The city's exam-oriented education system was also criticised for not developing a love of reading among students. And one cultural commentator said many of the "readers" visiting libraries were there for the air conditioning or to kill time. The number of items borrowed from the city's 77 libraries,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1509970/libraries-lose-their-readership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1509970/libraries-lose-their-readership?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 May 2014 20:45:45 +0000 A rural leader's call for more shopping malls in the North District to cater for mainland tourists has won little initial support from residents and green groups. Sheung Shui rural committee chairman Hau Chi-keung has submitted a proposal to the Planning Department suggesting a four-storey shopping mall be built at the minibus terminal next to Sheung Shui MTR station. The proposal goes on to call for more than 900,000 square metres of farmland or abandoned land near Lo Wu MTR station, four... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1507637/call-more-malls-sparks-dissent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1507637/call-more-malls-sparks-dissent?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 May 2014 19:36:56 +0000 Subsidised schools could share a HK$90 million grant to set up Wi-fi and purchase tablet computers as part of the Education Bureau's latest proposed strategy on the use of information technology in classrooms. The one-off grant to about 900 subsidised primary and secondary schools would also encourage principals to replace in-house IT technicians with subscriptions to telecommunications service providers - which would then set up and maintain Wi-fi infrastructure on campus and provide services... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1506919/technicians-lose-out-hk90m-classroom-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1506919/technicians-lose-out-hk90m-classroom-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2014 20:00:30 +0000 The annual Cheung Chau bun scramble kicked off at midnight last night, and for the sixth time fireman and islander Jason Kwok Ka-ming emerged the victor in the contest, which involves climbing up a 40-metre-tall tower of buns and bagging as many as possible. A familiar face also won the women's contest: Wong Ka-yan, champion in 2010 and last year. It's not all about the buns - the Cheung Chau festival earlier stuck to its tradition of serving up a good helping of political satire. Chief... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1505777/ready-steady-dough-annual-cheung-chau-bun-scramble-delivers-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1505777/ready-steady-dough-annual-cheung-chau-bun-scramble-delivers-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2014 06:45:00 +0000 Hong Kong's grey, polluted skies may be a health hazard, but for one inventor, they've been an inspiration. Polytechnic University's Professor Wallace Leung Woon-fong has invented the first multilayer nanofibre filter to purify the air. "I was in the United States for more than 30 years, seeing blue skies every day. But after I returned to Hong Kong, I could see only grey skies," said Leung, the university's chair professor of innovative products and technologies. "I asked myself: 'What can I do... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1505211/inventors-air-purifying-filter-will-let-you-breathe-easy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1505211/inventors-air-purifying-filter-will-let-you-breathe-easy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 May 2014 19:45:00 +0000 Protesters pretended to defecate and urinate outside the home of secretary for commerce and economic development Greg So Kam-leung yesterday. About a dozen protesters gathered on MacDonnell Road, Mid-Levels, with placards saying "tolerate equals condone" and chanting slogans such as "tolerate me" in the latest demonstration against a pair of mainland parents who allowed their toddler to relieve himself in a Mong Kok street. The protest was a response to a suggestion by So following the incident... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1504452/toddler-gate-protesters-target-ministers-home-mock-defecation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1504452/toddler-gate-protesters-target-ministers-home-mock-defecation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 May 2014 21:01:42 +0000 A top British public school is eyeing a Tai Po site in a fresh attempt to launch a primary section in Hong Kong. Locals seeking a place for their children, however, will be largely left out of the enrolment process at the prestigious Worcestershire-based Malvern College. The school says it will set aside up to 90 per cent of its places for pupils with foreign passports - more than the government's 70 per cent minimum requirement under its new round of land allocation for international schools to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1504560/elite-malvern-college-accept-mainly-expats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1504560/elite-malvern-college-accept-mainly-expats?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 May 2014 21:00:45 +0000 City University has edged up one spot to 17th on the annual global list of young universities - but it might have done better had it been allowed public funding to launch a vet school. The "slightly more constrained funding environment" of Hong Kong posed a challenge for its universities to compete with other top institutions worldwide, the education journalist behind the rankings said. "Any constraints on institutions' missions or the pursuits of their goals would always be potentially... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1501126/city-university-rises-global-rankings-despite-funding-setback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1501126/city-university-rises-global-rankings-despite-funding-setback?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Apr 2014 20:21:20 +0000