https://www.scmp.com/rss/510627/feed Jess joined the Post in 2021 after graduating from the University of Cambridge with a degree in Human, Social, and Political Sciences, specialising in Politics and Social Anthropology. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s first astronaut has encouraged the city’s young people to chase their dreams, declaring that “there must be a better tomorrow” if everyone works hard and bears the country in mind when pursuing one’s goals. Payload specialist Lai Ka-ying, one of three astronauts on the Shenzhou-23’s mission to China’s Tiangong space station scheduled to launch on Sunday evening, told Hongkongers in a press conference on Saturday that she would “ga yau”, meaning to step up efforts in Cantonese. “Thank... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354603/hong-kong-astronaut-testament-countrys-regard-citys-talent-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354603/hong-kong-astronaut-testament-countrys-regard-citys-talent-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 03:10:09 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma If you are working on a space station orbiting hundreds of kilometres above Earth, the woman set to become Hong Kong’s first astronaut when the mission launches this weekend is exactly the kind of person you want by your side, according to the professor who supervised her postgraduate studies. Lai Ka-ying was meticulous, patient and a skilled communicator who could break down highly technical ideas for others, Chow Kam-pui, an honorary associate professor at the University of Hong Kong, told the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354601/lai-ka-ying-hong-kongs-first-astronaut-her-mentor-saw-her-talent-years-ago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354601/lai-ka-ying-hong-kongs-first-astronaut-her-mentor-saw-her-talent-years-ago?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 02:10:18 +0000 Holly Chik,Jess Ma Holly Chik,Jess Ma Hong Kong will send its first astronaut to the Tiangong space station, the China Manned Space Agency announced on Saturday. Lai Ka-ying, a police superintendent with a doctorate in computer science, will join the Shenzhou-23 mission as a payload specialist and become the fourth woman astronaut to enter the Chinese space station. The Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft is targeting a launch at 11.08pm on Sunday. According to the agency, Lai will work alongside astronauts Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354597/hong-kongs-first-astronaut-lai-ka-ying-picked-space-station-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354597/hong-kongs-first-astronaut-lai-ka-ying-picked-space-station-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 01:13:41 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong authorities are extending an operation targeting poorly maintained fire safety equipment for another two years, aiming to inspect 5,000 high-risk old buildings after an initial phase resulted in 75 prosecutions. Law Kin-san, acting senior divisional officer for policy at the Fire Services Department, said on Thursday that ad hoc checks on high-risk buildings would prioritise residential blocks wrapped in scaffolding nets and those undergoing major renovation. “Unlike new buildings,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354416/operation-targeting-fire-safety-old-hong-kong-buildings-extended-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354416/operation-targeting-fire-safety-old-hong-kong-buildings-extended-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 14:37:47 +0000 Theodora Yu,Jess Ma Theodora Yu,Jess Ma A man plunged to his death from the balcony of his public housing flat in Hong Kong on Wednesday night after a dispute with his wife and son over education expenses, police said. A source said on Thursday that the man’s wife, 52, and their 21-year-old son were arrested, with preliminary investigations suggesting the death was accidental. The force received a report from the man’s son at 9.42pm on Wednesday, saying his father had lost his balance and fallen from their flat at Ming Yiu House in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3354390/man-falls-death-flat-amid-dispute-wife-son-over-education-expenses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3354390/man-falls-death-flat-amid-dispute-wife-son-over-education-expenses?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 10:51:09 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has warned of a new scam in which fraudsters impersonate an electrical appliance retailer to offer compensation or product replacements, with losses totalling HK$17,000 (US$2,170) in one case. A spokesman for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said on Thursday that it had received 24 complaints and seven inquiries in recent months related to such claims. All complainants were customers of the electrical appliance brand Built-in Pro. “Even if... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3354332/hong-kong-watchdog-warns-fake-retailer-compensation-call-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3354332/hong-kong-watchdog-warns-fake-retailer-compensation-call-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 05:54:37 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma A 38-year-old Hong Kong air-conditioner repairman has died after falling off a building in Kowloon City while working without any protective gear, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source said police received a report at 12.15pm on Tuesday of a man falling from Billionnaire Avant, a high-rise residential block, in Kowloon City. “Earlier in the day, the deceased went to a flat on the 11th floor to repair an air conditioner. He climbed out of a window in the bathroom to repair a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354082/air-conditioner-repairman-dies-after-falling-11th-floor-kowloon-city-building?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354082/air-conditioner-repairman-dies-after-falling-11th-floor-kowloon-city-building?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 07:56:13 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong authorities have allocated HK$5 billion (US$638 million) in funding for efforts to safeguard national security, bringing the total amount earmarked for this purpose to HK$18 billion over the past five years, an official document has revealed. The South China Morning Post’s check on the government’s general revenue expenditure accounts for the financial year ending in March 2026 showed a non-recurrent expenditure of HK$5 billion set aside for a “special fund to meet the expenditure for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3353972/hong-kong-earmarks-additional-hk5-billion-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3353972/hong-kong-earmarks-additional-hk5-billion-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) is stepping up efforts to detect fraudulent certificates used for early withdrawal of pension contributions after two medical groups reported suspected cases to police in recent weeks. Responding to an inquiry from the South China Morning Post, an authority spokesman said its online platform had recently identified suspected fraud involving possibly fake medical certificates submitted to withdraw Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF)... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353824/hong-kongs-mpf-authority-flags-fraudulent-certificates-early-pension-payouts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353824/hong-kongs-mpf-authority-flags-fraudulent-certificates-early-pension-payouts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s chief justice has urged the city’s senior barristers to uphold public confidence in the judicial system through their practice, saying the role requires consistent integrity and judgment. Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung said on Saturday during the senior counsel admission ceremony that public confidence in the city’s courts depended significantly on barristers of this rank, adding that they were not appointed simply for their technical skills or success. “It requires the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353838/hong-kong-chief-justice-urges-senior-counsel-uphold-public-trust-courts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353838/hong-kong-chief-justice-urges-senior-counsel-uphold-public-trust-courts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 14:54:30 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Health authorities are investigating a human case of rat hepatitis E – the first recorded in Hong Kong this year – and have urged the public to observe good hygiene practices and use effective rodent control measures. A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Saturday that the case involved a 42-year-old man with chronic liver disease, whose blood sample tested positive for the virus on May 5. “Based on current epidemiological data, the CHP considered that the patient was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3353818/man-infected-rat-hepatitis-e-hong-kongs-first-case-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3353818/man-infected-rat-hepatitis-e-hong-kongs-first-case-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 10:03:35 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong police have brought more defendants to court from the city’s first arrests over alleged illegal drills, charging three men with conspiracy to subvert state power. Wong Kit-lun, 20, Tang Ngai-pok, 23, and Chan Hiu-chun, 23, appeared at West Kowloon Court on Thursday after each being charged with one count of conspiracy to commit subversion under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Wong received an additional charge of possessing child pornography. A police spokesman said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353546/three-men-charged-over-illegal-military-style-drills-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353546/three-men-charged-over-illegal-military-style-drills-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 08:36:27 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma The number of reported technology-based crimes in Hong Kong dipped over the past year, but financial losses from hacking more than doubled to HK$62.6 million (US$8 million), prompting police to urge companies to bolster their cybersecurity checks. Carmen Leung Oi-lam, senior superintendent of the force’s cybersecurity and technology crime bureau, attributed the surge in money lost, despite the overall drop in technology cases, to several high-value cyberattacks on financial institutions and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353474/hong-kong-tech-crimes-are-dropping-so-why-hacking-becoming-more-lucrative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353474/hong-kong-tech-crimes-are-dropping-so-why-hacking-becoming-more-lucrative?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 23:00:11 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Ten students from an elite secondary school in Hong Kong were injured or experienced ringing in their ears after a self-heating hotpot pack exploded in a classroom on Wednesday. A police spokesman said officers received a report from St Paul’s Co-educational College in Mid-Levels at 3.29pm that a self-heating hotpot pack had exploded after being improperly heated. A source said a 15-year-old boy was preparing the hotpot pack at about 1pm when he poured hot water onto it, and it exploded. Six... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353473/10-hong-kong-students-hurt-self-heating-hotpot-pack-explodes-classroom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353473/10-hong-kong-students-hurt-self-heating-hotpot-pack-explodes-classroom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 14:41:32 +0000 Edith Lin,Jess Ma Edith Lin,Jess Ma Hong Kong police have arrested a 70-year-old taxi driver after he lost control of his cab and drove onto a pavement in Ngau Tau Kok, killing a woman and badly injuring another. A police spokesman said on Wednesday evening that the driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and detained for inquiry. The force earlier said the cabbie and his two passengers were also hurt when the taxi veered onto the pedestrian walkway at about 1.50pm that day on Choi Ha Road, near Chun Wah Road,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353414/woman-dies-another-unconscious-taxi-driven-man-70s-crashes-planter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353414/woman-dies-another-unconscious-taxi-driven-man-70s-crashes-planter?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 08:10:19 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong lawmakers have called for a rethink of a government scheme to develop homes for the elderly, days after the city’s second-largest public housing provider revealed it would stop building homes targeting older residents for the next decade. Lawmaker Andrew Lam Siu-lo of the Legislative Council’s housing panel said on Monday that the government had not been proactive enough in formulating a comprehensive housing policy for the elderly, urging authorities to provide new incentives for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353113/hong-kong-lawmakers-urge-rethink-housing-development-policy-elderly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353113/hong-kong-lawmakers-urge-rethink-housing-development-policy-elderly?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 06:28:38 +0000 Edith Lin,Jess Ma Edith Lin,Jess Ma The former owner of a Hong Kong bakery chain that went out of business has died after chasing a suspected thief and falling from an industrial building, the South China Morning Post has learned. The force received a report at around 5.15pm on Sunday from a man who said he had spotted someone stealing cables at the Kimball Industrial Building in Kwun Tong. The caller was a worker at a bakery inside the building. A source told the SCMP that the victim was a man surnamed Siu, in his seventies, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353060/hong-kong-man-dies-after-chasing-thief-and-falling-industrial-building?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353060/hong-kong-man-dies-after-chasing-thief-and-falling-industrial-building?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 13:22:32 +0000 Jess Ma,Emily Hung Jess Ma,Emily Hung Hong Kong police have arrested two drivers linked to a viral video showing two trucks allegedly racing and cutting across cutting lanes, on suspicion of dangerous driving. Ip Chi-kuen, senior superintendent of the investigation and support division of West Kowloon Traffic, said on Sunday that a 48-year-old non-Chinese man and a 51-year-old local man were arrested in the afternoon at Tsing Yi and Lok Ma Chau checkpoints, respectively. “Online video footage showed the drivers speeding, repeatedly... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353058/hong-kong-police-arrest-2-drivers-over-alleged-truck-racing-viral-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353058/hong-kong-police-arrest-2-drivers-over-alleged-truck-racing-viral-video?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 12:58:36 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong authorities have stressed that an operational glitch at a nuclear plant in neighbouring Shenzhen involving the closure of a cooling water isolation valve last week posed no risk to public health or the environment. The Security Bureau said on Sunday that Guangdong province’s Nuclear Emergency Committee Office had notified it of an operational event at the Ling Ao Nuclear Power Station that occurred last Thursday. The plant, about 50km (31 miles) north of urban Hong Kong, was undergoing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3353039/shenzhen-nuclear-power-plant-glitch-posed-no-safety-risk-hong-kong-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3353039/shenzhen-nuclear-power-plant-glitch-posed-no-safety-risk-hong-kong-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 09:51:02 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong customs has arrested a woman on suspicion of trying to smuggle seven animals worth about HK$4,300 (HK$549), including a sugar glider and a chinchilla, into the city. A Customs and Excise Department spokesman said on Sunday that officers intercepted the 46-year-old traveller at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line checkpoint the day before, seizing the animals from paper bags she carried. “Customs reminds the public that importing animals into Hong Kong without a valid permit is an offence,” the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353034/hong-kong-woman-arrested-smuggling-seven-animals-border-checkpoint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353034/hong-kong-woman-arrested-smuggling-seven-animals-border-checkpoint?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 07:59:33 +0000 Brian Wong,Jess Ma Brian Wong,Jess Ma Government inspectors did not foresee engineering firms colluding to deceive authorities over the use of substandard renovation materials at a Hong Kong residential estate devastated in the city’s deadliest fire in decades, a public inquiry has heard. Andy Ku Siu-ping, a senior maintenance surveyor with the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit, on Wednesday blamed “systemic defects” for the body’s failure to rectify the use of flammable polyfoam boards and scaffolding mesh during a HK$336... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352656/tai-po-fire-inspectors-failed-anticipate-firms-deception-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352656/tai-po-fire-inspectors-failed-anticipate-firms-deception-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 13:58:03 +0000 Jess Ma,Brian Wong Jess Ma,Brian Wong This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. All eyes were on the Hong Kong Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU) on Wednesday, as one of its officers testified before a judge-led panel about its role in the Tai Po blaze. Senior maintenance surveyor Andy Ku Siu-ping was the only witness giving testimony in the first of three sessions of the fourth round of evidential hearings. The ICU,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352299/tai-po-fire-probe-housing-bureaus-checking-unit-failed-follow-safety-issues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352299/tai-po-fire-probe-housing-bureaus-checking-unit-failed-follow-safety-issues?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 04:03:08 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s security chief has reaffirmed that fire services will act as the gatekeeper for safety after a legal vacuum was exposed during an inquiry into the city’s deadliest blaze in decades, stressing the department’s existing manpower could cope with expanded oversight duties. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Tuesday reiterated the pledge earlier made by Fire Services Department Director Andy Yeung Yan-kin during the hearings into the inferno at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352537/fire-services-be-gatekeepers-safety-hong-kong-security-chief-vows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352537/fire-services-be-gatekeepers-safety-hong-kong-security-chief-vows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 15:01:18 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Investment scams targeting Hong Kong’s elderly rose by 17 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 against a year ago, despite an overall decline in the number of cases, with police warning that better-educated retirees with more investment experience were more vulnerable to fraudsters. Superintendent Theodora Lee Wai-see of the force’s commercial crime bureau said elderly victims’ losses contributed to the 18.6 per cent rise in total losses incurred from scams between January and March compared... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352262/elderly-scam-victims-lose-hk850000-average-ones-who-know-finance-lose-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352262/elderly-scam-victims-lose-hk850000-average-ones-who-know-finance-lose-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 23:30:12 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Nearly 60 per cent of homeless Hongkongers plan to make fewer medical visits due to higher fees, an NGO has found, with advocates urging authorities to introduce automatic waivers and simplify subsidy applications. Kenny Ng Kwan-lim, deputy head of programmes at Impact HK, a charity supporting the homeless, said many street sleepers faced significant hurdles in applying for waivers due to their unstable circumstances. “Even if their possessions have not been stolen, in the face of their health... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3352268/60-hong-kongs-homeless-plan-cut-medical-visits-amid-higher-fees-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3352268/60-hong-kongs-homeless-plan-cut-medical-visits-amid-higher-fees-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 09:05:09 +0000 Danny Mok,Jess Ma,Lo Hoi-ying Danny Mok,Jess Ma,Lo Hoi-ying Residents of Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court have been wrestling with a fresh sense of loss after returning to homes ravaged in last November’s fire, as they were forced to choose what to save under practical constraints and within a three-hour window. Cecilia* is one such Hongkonger. She considers herself fortunate to have discovered that her upper-floor flat was largely undamaged by the blaze. But now she faces losing family treasures, precious metals and antique furniture if she cannot locate them... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352189/what-leave-behind-returning-wang-fuk-court-residents-stuck-tough-decisions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352189/what-leave-behind-returning-wang-fuk-court-residents-stuck-tough-decisions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 01:00:15 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong public hospitals will extend visiting hours at all rehabilitation and palliative wards from five to nine hours a day by the end of July, with those in central Kowloon and New Territories West expected to roll out the arrangement this month. Danny Tong Wah-kun, the Hospital Authority’s chief manager of nursing, said the authority would also enable round-the-clock visits at all paediatric wards by the end of July, adding to an existing arrangement for one carer to stay overnight in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3352044/hong-kong-public-hospitals-extend-time-daily-visits-5-9-hours-july-31?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3352044/hong-kong-public-hospitals-extend-time-daily-visits-5-9-hours-july-31?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 23:00:09 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma A Hong Kong survey has found a 20 percentage point gap in relationship scores between parents and children who play video games together and those who do not. The Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong on Sunday urged parents to adopt a new approach to supervising their children’s gaming habits, encouraging families to take part in such activities together rather than just observing. The group issued the call after conducting a survey of the experiences and attitudes of parents, young children and teenagers... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351491/can-parents-and-children-playing-video-games-together-level-their-relationship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351491/can-parents-and-children-playing-video-games-together-level-their-relationship?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:45:13 +0000 Brian Wong,Jess Ma Brian Wong,Jess Ma Hong Kong’s fire services declined to activate an emergency alert during the city’s deadliest inferno in decades, citing concerns that it might have caused confusion among trapped residents, a public inquiry has heard. An independent committee investigating last year’s disaster at Wang Fuk Court was also told on Thursday that the system, which would have triggered a loud, high-pitched alarm on mobile phones, would have offered little help to the Fire Services Department’s evacuation efforts, as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351135/hong-kong-fire-services-declined-tai-po-alert-over-confusion-fears-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351135/hong-kong-fire-services-declined-tai-po-alert-over-confusion-fears-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:49:52 +0000 Jess Ma,Brian Wong Jess Ma,Brian Wong This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The role of Hong Kong’s fire service remained under the spotlight on the 18th day of evidential hearings held by an independent committee investigating the catastrophic blaze at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court. Three officers from the Fire Services Department testified on Thursday before the judge-led panel. Four of their colleagues gave accounts the previous day of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351068/tai-po-probe-very-rare-damage-found-fallen-firefighters-breathing-apparatus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351068/tai-po-probe-very-rare-damage-found-fallen-firefighters-breathing-apparatus?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:11:58 +0000 Jess Ma,Vivian Au Jess Ma,Vivian Au The latest batch of residents to return to their flats in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court under special government arrangements said prayers and left bouquets on Wednesday as a final farewell to their fire-ravaged homes. The residents, who were among 79 households that registered to visit Wang Sun House in the morning, arrived at the building with trolleys, backpacks and bags, some carrying stools to aid their arduous climb up at least 20 floors. An elderly woman surnamed Tang, who lived on the 24th... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350951/residents-leave-prayers-and-flowers-third-day-return-wang-fuk-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350951/residents-leave-prayers-and-flowers-third-day-return-wang-fuk-court?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:05:26 +0000 Jess Ma,Vivian Au,Kristen Cheung Jess Ma,Vivian Au,Kristen Cheung More residents have returned to their fire-ravaged homes on the second day of pickup sessions at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court to search for memorabilia. Severe damage to flats in the Tai Po housing estate distressed some residents while a woman expressed relief after finding items belonging to her father who had suffered a mental illness from the trauma of last November’s deadly blaze. Those who lived on the middle floors of the estate’s Wang Sun House began returning home on Tuesday, with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350818/residents-thank-life-saving-neighbours-use-robots-search-charred-wang-fuk-court-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350818/residents-thank-life-saving-neighbours-use-robots-search-charred-wang-fuk-court-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:16:09 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying,Jess Ma,Wynna Wong Lo Hoi-ying,Jess Ma,Wynna Wong Members of more than 70 former households of a fire-damaged block of Wang Fuk Court returned to their homes on Monday for the first time since a deadly inferno ravaged the estate last November to recover cherished items such as wedding rings, paintings and a safe. Three suspected cases of theft were also under investigation by police after Wang Sun House residents finished counting their losses on Monday. The block’s residents were the first to return to the estate in Tai Po as part of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350664/it-feels-complicated-wang-fuk-court-residents-return-home-bid-last-farewell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350664/it-feels-complicated-wang-fuk-court-residents-return-home-bid-last-farewell?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:35:43 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Spinal muscular atrophy patients have urged the Hong Kong government to expand subsidised medicine options for adults to increase their chances for a better quality of life, with some saying their condition deteriorated after growing up without affordable care. Lui Man-lam, president of the Hong Kong Neuro-Muscular Disease Association, said at a press conference on Sunday that while oral medicine subsidies for those aged 25 or above were rolled out early this year, adult patients still lacked... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3350640/hong-kongs-spinal-muscular-atrophy-patients-seek-aid-injection-therapy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3350640/hong-kongs-spinal-muscular-atrophy-patients-seek-aid-injection-therapy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:30:17 +0000 Jess Ma,Emily Hung Jess Ma,Emily Hung For 66-year-old Ming Lee, the only way to get back to his flat in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court is by walking up 25 flights of stairs, after the deadly inferno at the housing estate last November destroyed seven of its eight buildings, including their lift systems. Undaunted by the physical toll required, the retiree will ascend Wang Yan House next week and bid a final farewell to his home of four decades. “I exercise regularly, but after the fire, my mood and physical condition both deteriorated,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350579/wang-fuk-court-residents-steel-themselves-emotional-return-site-deadly-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350579/wang-fuk-court-residents-steel-themselves-emotional-return-site-deadly-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:00:21 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma The Hong Kong Tourism Board invited more than 1,700 influencers from around the world to the city between 2023 and last year, with the internet personalities having a combined following exceeding 1.6 billion. Responding to an inquiry from lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said the board had invited 1,730 influencers to Hong Kong over two years, with itineraries tailored to their markets and audiences. “In 2026-27, [the board] will continue to develop themed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350512/tourism-board-invited-1730-influencers-hong-kong-over-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350512/tourism-board-invited-1730-influencers-hong-kong-over-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:00:25 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Nearly 1,800 young Hongkongers convicted of protest and national security-related offences have taken part in a rehabilitation programme, authorities have said, including 99 per cent of those found guilty over the 2019 unrest, up from 63 per cent in 2021. Responding to a question from lawmaker Chan Hok-fung, the Security Bureau said that 1,768 inmates had taken part in Project PATH as of the end of February. “According to observations and assessments made by correctional officers, Project PATH... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350265/hong-kong-reports-99-participation-young-2019-protest-convicts-rehab-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350265/hong-kong-reports-99-participation-young-2019-protest-convicts-rehab-project?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:50:45 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma A resident of Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po has said that a drawer in her flat had been rummaged through, prompting a police investigation and rekindling burglary fears in the sealed residential complex. Police launched the probe after a resident surnamed Lee raised concerns about a possible burglary early on Tuesday. A government social worker had sent her a photograph of her flat in Wang Cheong House the day before, which showed drawers and boxes that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350086/wang-fuk-court-resident-reports-suspected-theft-fire-hit-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350086/wang-fuk-court-resident-reports-suspected-theft-fire-hit-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:38:49 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong Cantopop singer Keung To has been fined HK$2,200 (US$280) for careless driving, running a red light and failing to display a probationary sign on his car while driving. Court documents show that the member of the popular boy band Mirror had been charged after ramming his car into railings on Caine Road last November and running a red light at a junction in Kennedy Town a month later. The 26-year-old singer, who reportedly obtained his probationary driving licence in February last year,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349939/hong-kongs-mirror-star-keung-fined-hk2200-driving-offences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349939/hong-kongs-mirror-star-keung-fined-hk2200-driving-offences?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:47:46 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma A mainland Chinese woman has been acquitted of submitting false academic qualifications in her application for Hong Kong’s talent scheme, with the judge saying she could have been defrauded by her agent during the process. Xu Lina, 36, was cleared of the charge at Sha Tin Court on Monday after Magistrate Raymond Wong Kwok-fai said the defendant might have been negligent in failing to check her application form before submitting it to the Immigration Department, but her actions did not amount to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349890/hong-kong-court-clears-woman-forging-qualifications-talent-scheme-application?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349890/hong-kong-court-clears-woman-forging-qualifications-talent-scheme-application?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:24:53 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Seven murals celebrating the Thai and Chiu Chow heritage of Hong Kong’s Kowloon City will be erected in the district known for its ethnic Thai population and traditional stores under a public scheme to encourage building renovations in the area. The first on Jenford Building has been completed on South Wall Road in the heart of the city’s “Little Thailand”, featuring a purple cartoon elephant dressed in a blue Hawaiian shirt, grinning with its trunk lifted as if greeting passers-by. Against a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349305/sawadeekowloon-mural-celebrates-thai-culture-hong-kong-under-renovation-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349305/sawadeekowloon-mural-celebrates-thai-culture-hong-kong-under-renovation-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s security minister has revealed that authorities are reviewing fire safety laws to expand enforcement powers and toughen penalties as part of a broader crackdown on illegal fuel sales in the city amid surging global oil prices. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Wednesday the government’s review included possible penalty increases, expanding enforcement powers for the Fire Services Department to make arrests and seize vehicles, and an examination of the legal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3348689/hong-kong-weighs-tougher-enforcement-against-illegal-fuel-sales-prices-soar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3348689/hong-kong-weighs-tougher-enforcement-against-illegal-fuel-sales-prices-soar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:47:11 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong International Airport has been voted the world’s best airport, along with accolades recognising its security standards and facilities. An Airport Authority spokesman said on Wednesday that the city’s airport had been named “Best Airport in the World” at the Global Travel Awards this year. Organiser International Media & News Group, based in Britain, said the awards recognised the best hotels, airports, airlines and destinations based on votes cast by 2.5 million travellers from more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3348649/hong-kong-airport-named-worlds-best-global-travel-awards-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3348649/hong-kong-airport-named-worlds-best-global-travel-awards-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:10:07 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s key decision-making body has approved plans for an elevated smart mass transit railway system in Kai Tak that will connect the cruise terminal and other major facilities in the area to the local MTR station. The Executive Council’s endorsement followed meetings between authorities and project critics and consultations with the public and the Legislative Council to address their concerns. The proposal was gazetted in July last year. “The public is generally supportive of the Smart and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3348507/hong-kongs-exco-approves-plans-elevated-mass-transit-system-kai-tak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3348507/hong-kongs-exco-approves-plans-elevated-mass-transit-system-kai-tak?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:17:24 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma A former Hong Kong truck driver who caused the death of a pregnant woman was sentenced to 22 months in prison on Tuesday, with the judge saying the man had made “continuous” wrong decisions in his driving. District Judge Josiah Lam Wai-kuen also pushed back on the defence’s mitigation argument that the accident had occurred because of a momentary lapse of judgment. “He had acted out of convenience for himself. This is not a lapse in judgment, but driving with bad judgment,” he said in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348491/hong-kong-man-gets-22-months-jail-pregnant-womans-death-truck-accident?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348491/hong-kong-man-gets-22-months-jail-pregnant-womans-death-truck-accident?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 05:51:06 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong lawmakers have expressed concern over the lack of a car park at the upgraded Huanggang border crossing, saying that providing a shuttle bus service for tour groups or motorists to reach the checkpoint building will not be convenient. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Friday that the revamped building – which is on the mainland Chinese side of the border in Shenzhen – would not have a public car park or bays for coaches. The Transport and Logistics Bureau would decide... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3348211/lawmakers-concerned-over-lack-parking-huanggang-border-checkpoint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3348211/lawmakers-concerned-over-lack-parking-huanggang-border-checkpoint?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:04:56 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong authorities have arrested a man and seized more than 8,000 litres (2,100 gallons) of illegal fuel worth HK$250,000 (US$32,000), the latest in a string of similar cases amid conflict in the Middle East that has pushed up global oil prices. A police spokesman said on Friday that a joint operation with the Fire Services Department and the Customs and Excise Department the day before had led to the arrest of a 61-year-old driver linked to about 4,000 litres of suspected black market... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348089/over-8000-litres-illicit-fuel-worth-hk250000-seized-driver-arrested-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348089/over-8000-litres-illicit-fuel-worth-hk250000-seized-driver-arrested-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:48:47 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong has condemned the United Kingdom for undermining the city’s rule of law and meddling in local affairs after British authorities pledged to use “every opportunity” to press for the release of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, who was jailed for 20 years over national security offences. The government issued a strong rebuttal in the early hours of Friday, dismissing London’s comments as “misleading and irresponsible” after the UK expressed concerns over Hong Kong’s erosion of human... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3348075/hong-kong-slams-uk-undermining-citys-rule-law-calls-release-jimmy-lai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3348075/hong-kong-slams-uk-undermining-citys-rule-law-calls-release-jimmy-lai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:29:47 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma An air-conditioner technician was critically injured after falling from a ladder in Hong Kong’s Tsuen Wan on Thursday morning. Police said they received a report at 9.18am that the man, who is in his sixties, had fallen while working at a building at 88 Yeung Uk Road. The man was unconscious when taken to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung, the force said. “As of 11.45am, the worker was admitted to the intensive care unit,” a police spokesman said. Fay Siu Sin-man, chief executive of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347969/air-con-technician-critically-injured-after-fall-ladder-tsuen-wan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347969/air-con-technician-critically-injured-after-fall-ladder-tsuen-wan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:53:41 +0000 Jess Ma,Danny Mok Jess Ma,Danny Mok Seven people have been injured, four critically, in a fire and explosions at a recycling yard in Hong Kong, forcing the evacuation of 300 people, including students and teachers on a nearby school trip. The blaze broke out at 11.01am on Thursday in a recycling yard at the junction of Ting Kok Road and Fung Yuen Road in Tai Po district. According to the Fire Services Department, it started in a scrap metal compactor housed inside a two-storey iron-sheet structure. The department deployed two... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347947/explosion-hong-kong-recycling-yard-injures-2?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347947/explosion-hong-kong-recycling-yard-injures-2?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 04:53:26 +0000