https://www.scmp.com/rss/512878/feed Charmaine is studying Global Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is a summer intern on City Desk at the Post. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hong Kong animal rights groups have welcomed the government’s move to tighten anti-cruelty laws, but some say the proposed changes do not go far enough to deter abusers. A bill to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance will go before the Legislative Council later this year, increasing penalties, introducing a new indictable offence and strengthening enforcement powers to prevent pets from suffering physically and mentally. The proposals include imposing a “duty of care” on those... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3190431/more-bite-please-hong-kong-animal-rights-groups-say-new-anti?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3190431/more-bite-please-hong-kong-animal-rights-groups-say-new-anti?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Aug 2022 01:00:31 +0000 A new special quota assisting Hong Kong students to study in mainland China should be made permanent, a lawmaker has suggested, as the government strives to boost the youth’s understanding of the Greater Bay Area and visits have become more frequent. Lawmaker Kitson Yang Wing-kit told the Post that some students studying in the mainland worried that it would be hard for them to return to the city during winter holidays, after the Education Bureau said the special arrangements for them to cross... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3190305/special-arrangements-hong-kong-students-enter-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3190305/special-arrangements-hong-kong-students-enter-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Aug 2022 08:42:31 +0000 Hong Kong’s Peak Tram will be back in service this Saturday with a nearly 70 per cent increase in ticket price after the Covid-19 pandemic inflated the revamp cost to nearly HK$800 million (US$102 million), according to the operator. The sixth generation of the 134-year-old Peak Tram will greet passengers in a new deep green colour, paying tribute to the third and fourth generation tramcars. The new tram can accommodate up to 210 passengers per ride, 75 per cent more than the previous... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3190045/hong-kong-peak-tram-reopens-saturday-ticket-prices-about-70?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3190045/hong-kong-peak-tram-reopens-saturday-ticket-prices-about-70?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Aug 2022 10:42:01 +0000 Special quotas, more flights and alternative quarantine measures in Macau will be arranged to help thousands of Hong Kong students cross into mainland China on time for the new school year amid tough Covid-19 travel curbs, the city’s education minister has said. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin announced the arrangements at a press conference on Tuesday after more than 1,000 frustrated students asked lawmakers for help to cross the border a week before the start of the academic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3189872/new-channels-shenzhen-border-more-flights-and-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3189872/new-channels-shenzhen-border-more-flights-and-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Aug 2022 07:38:06 +0000 The head of a Hong Kong special education secondary school who was fired over the weekend filed a complaint on Monday with the Labour Department claiming “unreasonable termination”. The move came after principal Wong Lai-ting, who was sacked on Saturday, and about 10 teaching and administrative staff accused the board of Hong Kong Juvenile Care Centre Chan Nam Cheong Memorial School in Aberdeen of gross mismanagement at a press conference last Thursday and asked the government to step in. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3189804/hong-kong-head-teacher-launches-unfair-dismissal-claim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3189804/hong-kong-head-teacher-launches-unfair-dismissal-claim?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Aug 2022 14:13:02 +0000 Charmaine Choi Charmaine Choi The tragic accident at a concert of Canto-pop boy band Mirror last month that left a dancer critically injured has prompted questions about welfare of performers in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry. “Many dancers are afraid to speak up because they fear being labelled ‘troublemakers’ and losing job opportunities,” said Alan Wong Sui-lun, 36, a professional dancer and choreographer with 15 years’ experience. He was one of the first in the industry to go on social media after the July 28... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3189589/mirror-concert-accident-hong-kong-dancers-shaken?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3189589/mirror-concert-accident-hong-kong-dancers-shaken?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Aug 2022 10:01:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s daily coronavirus infection toll has jumped to more than 6,400 as the government announced it would reopen a treatment centre for Covid-19 patients at AsiaWorld-Expo next week amid rising numbers of cases. The city logged 6,445 coronavirus infections on Friday, the highest daily number since the end of March, including 185 cases from abroad, as well as eight more deaths. It was the second day in a row that the city’s infections passed the 6,000 mark. On Thursday, the city recorded... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3189495/coronavirus-steady-rise-number-young-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3189495/coronavirus-steady-rise-number-young-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Aug 2022 08:18:33 +0000 Hong Kong has launched a new tech website aimed at monetising local research successes as part of its initiative to boost innovation, as the minister in charge called on academics and industries to use the platform to connect with investors in mainland China. Launching the Innovation Hub@HK website on Thursday, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said: “I wish everybody can make good use of our platform to introduce their research success to everyone in order to tell Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3189326/new-tech-website-aims-connect-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3189326/new-tech-website-aims-connect-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Aug 2022 07:09:23 +0000 A fatal accident involving the collapse of a motorised metal gate at a government health centre in Hong Kong may have been caused by sensor failure, according to an engineering expert. On Monday night, a gate measuring 4.7 by 2.5 metres (15 by 8 feet) at Yaumatei Maternal and Child Health Centre fell and killed a 43-year-old female security guard named Ngai Yuk-kwan. The case has been classified as an industrial accident and a police investigation is under way. A government spokesman on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3189179/sensor-failure-suspected-cause-collapsed-gate-killed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3189179/sensor-failure-suspected-cause-collapsed-gate-killed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Aug 2022 05:04:20 +0000 Olympic champion Edgar Cheung Ka-long will be among six elite athletes to enrol at Baptist University this year, as part of a special admission scheme for Hong Kong’s sporting best. It will be the first time in nine years that the fencer is returning to the classroom, having halted his studies at Form Four at a local secondary school to devote himself full-time to the pistes. The Tokyo 2020 gold medallist acknowledged the challenge, but said he would put his full effort into juggling his... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3189132/golden-boy-campus-hong-kongs-olympic-champion-edgar-cheung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3189132/golden-boy-campus-hong-kongs-olympic-champion-edgar-cheung?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:16:18 +0000 About 9,800 people have left Covid-19 quarantine hotels in Hong Kong after the time frame was cut to three days from seven – but the reduction has sparked a string of complaints to the consumer watchdog about delays of up to six months for refunds on prepaid stays. Andrea Grippi, a machine learning and artificial intelligence researcher, said the Ramada Hong Kong Harbour View told him that his refund would be processed between 150-180 business days after checkout. The 29-year-old, who posted an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3188596/complaints-hong-kong-consumer-watchdog-over-delays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3188596/complaints-hong-kong-consumer-watchdog-over-delays?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Aug 2022 00:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong’s eased quarantine measures for overseas travellers could bring down the wages of foreign domestic helpers, employment agencies have said. The Labour Department on Wednesday confirmed that all in bound helpers would be subject to the new quarantine measures. All overseas arrivals in Hong Kong would have to undergo three days of compulsory quarantine at a designated hotel and another four days of medical surveillance, that restricts their movements, from Friday. Cheung Kit-man, chairman... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3188452/coronavirus-hong-kongs-eased-quarantine-measures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3188452/coronavirus-hong-kongs-eased-quarantine-measures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Aug 2022 13:32:25 +0000 Hong Kong cancelled a second amber rainstorm warning issued on Friday, while the city’s weather forecaster said another tropical cyclone was expected to reach western Guangdong early next week. The latest warning came at 1.05pm and was dropped at 5.35pm, with the Observatory saying the city was under a broad area of low pressure. An amber alert means heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over Hong Kong, exceeding 30 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue. Hong Kong No... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3187816/hong-kong-weather-city-issues-second-amber-rainstorm-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3187816/hong-kong-weather-city-issues-second-amber-rainstorm-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Aug 2022 05:42:42 +0000 Daily Covid-19 infections have broken the 5,000 mark for the first time in more than four months in Hong Kong, while a minister has said she is “encouraged” by the number of parents signing their children up for Sinovac shots after the age of eligibility was lowered to six months. Health officials confirmed 5,020 new cases on Thursday, the most since 5,823 were recorded on April 1, and reported three more deaths related to the virus. Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, the head of the Centre for Health... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3187667/coronavirus-hong-kong-civil-service-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3187667/coronavirus-hong-kong-civil-service-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Aug 2022 06:01:19 +0000 An accident involving a giant video screen crashing down onto a stage in the middle of a show by Canto-pop band Mirror has left 20-year-old Venus Chu unable to stomach any more information about the fateful night. “My mind went blank on the spot and I immediately halted recording [the show]. I cannot re-watch that video clip, I am very scared,” said Chu, who was filming the performance when the accident happened. The avid Mirror supporter unfollowed many fan club accounts on Instagram... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3187118/i-feel-unsettled-counselling-hotlines-flooded-calls-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3187118/i-feel-unsettled-counselling-hotlines-flooded-calls-after?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jul 2022 15:51:58 +0000 Chinese white dolphins were found to be significantly more active in southern Hong Kong waters after the frequency of cross-border ferry services was reduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a green group’s study. The findings have prompted WWF-Hong Kong to call on the government to divert cross-border ferry operations in the Southern Lantau Fairway. The group said on Thursday that the acoustic and visual data they collected in the area between February 2020 to January 2021 showed a 50... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3186130/fewer-ferries-lead-more-chinese-white-dolphin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3186130/fewer-ferries-lead-more-chinese-white-dolphin?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jul 2022 13:22:24 +0000 A club set up to honour the memory of kung fu film star Bruce Lee has teamed up with multimedia specialists to construct a digital recreation of his Hong Kong family home to help showcase his glittering career to fans around the world. The Bruce Lee Club said the metaverse project would be launched on Wednesday – the 49th anniversary of the film legend’s sudden death in 1973 aged just 32. The club said fans would be able to visit the two-storey home, which was demolished in 2019, through the use... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3185841/kung-fu-star-bruce-lees-last-hong-kong-home-be-recreated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3185841/kung-fu-star-bruce-lees-last-hong-kong-home-be-recreated?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jul 2022 12:45:14 +0000 Some Covid-19 patients have yet to receive compulsory electronic wristbands that infected residents undergoing home quarantine must now wear in Hong Kong, complaining that they have also been left in the dark about related arrangements. The delay came as the city on Monday reported 3,436 coronavirus infections, 254 of which were imported, and three additional deaths. Hong Kong’s overall Covid-19 tally stands at 1,297,518 cases and 9,440 related fatalities. Under a policy brought in by the new... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3185652/coronavirus-patients-quarantining-home-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3185652/coronavirus-patients-quarantining-home-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Jul 2022 07:35:24 +0000 Rumblings of public discontent have emerged in Macau, better known for its glitzy casinos than anti-government protests, as residents endure an extended lockdown ordered by authorities to contain surging Covid-19 infections. Social media has been flooded with pictures of residents in white T-shirts emblazoned with red Chinese characters stating “no jobs, no food” but also bearing handwritten messages of support for the government’s pandemic efforts and frontline workers. The photos were taken as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3185604/it-witch-hunt-violators-macau-residents-bristle-restrictions-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3185604/it-witch-hunt-violators-macau-residents-bristle-restrictions-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Jul 2022 16:21:53 +0000 Macau has extended its citywide lockdown until July 22 in a bid to contain a recent coronavirus surge, with the government also providing an additional 10 billion patacas (HK$9.7 billion) in handouts to struggling businesses. Authorities in the casino hub announced on Saturday that non-essential businesses would need to remain closed until next Friday. The lockdown was previously set to expire on Sunday. Residents have been told to stay home unless they need to buy emergency supplies, with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3185525/macau-extends-coronavirus-lockdown-next-friday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3185525/macau-extends-coronavirus-lockdown-next-friday?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jul 2022 08:45:50 +0000 Hong Kong’s first major study into the effects of long Covid will be carried out by one of the city’s leading universities in a bid to provide information to the government on future treatment plans. The research team from Chinese University’s faculty of medicine said on Tuesday it would send a bilingual online survey to all recovered Covid-19 patients in Hong Kong, including the elderly and children, to learn about how long Covid symptoms affected them. “There’s likely a very large number of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3185040/major-study-effects-long-covid-be-carried-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3185040/major-study-effects-long-covid-be-carried-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:50:37 +0000 Macau’s first citywide Covid-19 lockdown has confused residents and sparked panic buying as authorities scrambled to stem its worst coronavirus outbreak so far, with nearly 1,000 residents admonished for violating rules. From Monday, non-essential businesses must close for seven days, the first time in more than two years that casinos will shut in the Chinese gambling hub. Residents are required to stay home except when buying emergency supplies, and adults must wear masks with specifications of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3184913/sudden-citywide-coronavirus-lockdown-confuses-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3184913/sudden-citywide-coronavirus-lockdown-confuses-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Jul 2022 13:03:03 +0000 Hundreds of fans of Anson Lo Hon-ting, a member of boy band Mirror, celebrated the 27th birthday of their idol with the public on Thursday by sponsoring free ferry and bus rides. The pink-clad legions formed up on both sides of Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central just before noon and took a free trip on the Star Ferry sponsored for the day by Lo’s official fan club. The club explained the free rides were to “give back to society and spread positivity”. People can also enjoy a free ride... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3184445/ferry-special-day-hong-kong-cantopop-star-anson-lo-fans-mark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3184445/ferry-special-day-hong-kong-cantopop-star-anson-lo-fans-mark?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jul 2022 08:26:09 +0000 Chi Kee Sawmill and Timber, one of the few remaining woodwork factories in Hong Kong, is making a last-ditch call for help to relocate its operations, after the owners received notice last week to move out to make way for a new development. The clearance deadline given by the Lands Department for the 40-year-old sawmill, located in Kwu Tung, Sheung Shui, was June 30, but 72-year-old Wong Hung-kuen and his siblings have not moved because they cannot let go of the remaining 1,000 tonnes of timber... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3184363/owners-hong-kong-sawmill-appeal-help-move-operations-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3184363/owners-hong-kong-sawmill-appeal-help-move-operations-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jul 2022 13:19:59 +0000 Hong Kong police’s elite squads will hit the streets on July 1 wearing new uniforms that allow for better protection and easier identification during operations. Officers from the Airport Security Unit, Counter Terrorism Response Unit and the Railway Response Team will wear uniforms with the new design on Friday, as the force prepares to mobilise all units and ramp up security during the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule. To help members of the public identify duty officers... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3183101/hong-kong-polices-elite-squads-get-new-uniforms-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3183101/hong-kong-polices-elite-squads-get-new-uniforms-better?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jun 2022 23:00:27 +0000 A 62-year-old contract cleaner and breadwinner for her family has still not got a special Hong Kong government Covid-19 subsidy three months after she asked her employer to submit a claim. Amy* said she had to continue to work as a cleaner at a private company in Tai Po through the fifth wave of infections, despite soaring numbers of confirmed cases. She said it was some comfort that the government promised a HK$10,000 (US$1,282) subsidy for essential workers who had contributed to the battle... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3182343/coronavirus-hong-kong-frontline-workers-still?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3182343/coronavirus-hong-kong-frontline-workers-still?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jun 2022 04:15:07 +0000 More than 40 quarantine hotels in Hong Kong have raised their room rates by up to 80 per cent since the launch of the scheme more than 1½ years ago as growth in the number of arrivals outpaced the increase in available places, the Post has found. The hike in prices continued this summer as travellers scrambled to secure rooms as most of the designated hotels were already booked up for July and August. The authorities have increased the number of available rooms from 12,000 to 23,000 for between... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3183054/coronavirus-hong-kong-hotels-raise-rates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3183054/coronavirus-hong-kong-hotels-raise-rates?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jun 2022 05:58:56 +0000 The first group tour from Hong Kong to Japan in more than two years finally set off on Wednesday amid great fanfare after several delays, as the number of Covid-19 cases hit a two-month high. Ten travellers joined the seven-day trip organised by EGL Tours, which had previously pushed back the departure date from June 11 to June 15 and then to Wednesday. The firm attributed the delays to the additional time needed to register and process visas, which are required for visitors to enter... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3182599/coronavirus-hong-kong-tour-group-heads-japan-first-time-more-2-years-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3182599/coronavirus-hong-kong-tour-group-heads-japan-first-time-more-2-years-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jun 2022 05:46:33 +0000