https://www.scmp.com/rss/518967/feed James Modesto is an Editorial Intern on the City Desk. Having been an amateur wildlife photographer and avid birdwatcher for over four years, he is interested in conservation and wildlife. James is heading into his fourth year as a journalism student at Hong Kong Baptist University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Along the waterfront of Hong Kong’s outlying Cheung Chau island, a lengthy line of photographers wait patiently almost every day to capture shots of resident owls, which have also attracted curious passers-by and brought “good fortune” to nearby seafood restaurants. The phenomenon has grown since earlier this month after posts of brown fish owls on several local birdwatching social media groups showed the animals perched on fishing vessels berthed along the shore. The Post joined birdwatchers... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3275795/lone-owl-brings-good-fortune-hong-kong-seafood-restaurants-outlying-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3275795/lone-owl-brings-good-fortune-hong-kong-seafood-restaurants-outlying-island?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2024 04:00:11 +0000 The rising use of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising Hong Kong conservation efforts as it offers more accurate population estimates of some species and monitors their habitats more efficiently, experts and a start-up have said. Among the recent efforts is Robotics Cats, an AI start-up that has just been recognised as a “top innovator” by the World Economic Forum’s platform UpLink during its Annual Meeting of the New Champions in the mainland Chinese city of Dalian in June. Andre... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3274865/ai-can-help-detect-wildfires-monitor-endangered-bird-species-hong-kong-experts-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3274865/ai-can-help-detect-wildfires-monitor-endangered-bird-species-hong-kong-experts-start?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2024 04:00:24 +0000 Hong Kong shopping centres live-streaming the Paris Olympics have said they expect a 15 per cent sales boost over the course of the event compared with the same period last year as the city won its first gold medal. Sports fans flocked to shopping centres on Saturday and stayed into the early hours of Sunday to cheer on the city’s athletes – including fencing queen Vivian Kong Man-wei, who took top spot on the podium in the women’s épée event. Sino Land’s Olympian City drew the crowds with an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272215/hong-kong-retailers-hope-strike-olympic-gold-paris-sports-extravaganza-boosts-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272215/hong-kong-retailers-hope-strike-olympic-gold-paris-sports-extravaganza-boosts-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jul 2024 12:30:16 +0000 MTR train services suspended on part of the Kwun Tong line are likely to be resumed by daybreak on Monday as 500 engineers and workers race to complete unprecedented equipment upgrades at four rail stations within a 28-hour window. For much of the day on Sunday, services were suspended at Prince Edward, Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei and Ho Man Tin stations on the Kwun Tong line. Lee Kim-hung, the MTR Corporation’s chief of operations engineering and maintenance, said that 18 hours into the upgrade, work... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3272175/early-birds-head-hong-kong-rail-stations-avoid-delays-amid-upgrade-works-4-stops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3272175/early-birds-head-hong-kong-rail-stations-avoid-delays-amid-upgrade-works-4-stops?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jul 2024 02:55:48 +0000 The Hong Kong Palace Museum will raise the price of its general admission tickets by nearly 17 per cent to HK$70 (US$9) next month to “enhance the sustainability of its operations”, with industry experts saying the move is unlikely to affect demand. The museum, part of the city’s cash-strapped West Kowloon Cultural District, on Friday announced its second ticket price increase since opening on July 3, 2022. “Adjusting fees can help the museum cope with the rising costs, enhance the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3272004/hong-kong-palace-museum-raise-admission-prices-167-hk70-next-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3272004/hong-kong-palace-museum-raise-admission-prices-167-hk70-next-month?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 08:16:50 +0000 Angela Cabido Dela Cruz, an 18-year-old Filipino born in Hong Kong, has expressed relief over her results in the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams, which can secure her a university place in the city to study biomedicine or nursing. The student from the Hong Kong Taoist Association The Yuen Yuen Institute No 3 Secondary School in Tseung Kwan O obtained a score of 21 across five subjects and was among hundreds of pupils from ethnic minority groups who took this year’s exams. “I want to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3270825/two-hong-kong-pupils-ethnic-minority-groups-set-university-after-strong-dse-scores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3270825/two-hong-kong-pupils-ethnic-minority-groups-set-university-after-strong-dse-scores?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2024 10:09:18 +0000 A tycoon, businessmen and students were among the Hong Kong permanent residents with foreign passports who applied for a new travel permit to enter mainland China after applications opened on Wednesday. Many hailed the five-year multi-entry permit as a “game changer”, while others faced difficulties over a lack of correct documents. Sino Group chairman Robert Ng Chee Siong, a Singaporean national, headed to China Travel Service (Hong Kong) (CTS) to apply for the permit and described the new... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3269857/hong-kong-permanent-residents-flock-centres-applications-mainland-china-permit-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3269857/hong-kong-permanent-residents-flock-centres-applications-mainland-china-permit-open?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jul 2024 03:50:43 +0000 At least 32 Hong Kong students have attained perfect scores in the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme this year, up from 23 in 2023, amid a controversy over time-zone cheating in exams. Among the top scorers announced on Saturday were 17 pupils from the English Schools Foundation, the city’s biggest international school group. The remaining students comprised four from the Diocesan Boys’ School, two each from the Victoria Shanghai Academy, Singapore International School (Hong Kong), Yew... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3269421/28-hong-kong-students-attain-perfect-score-ib-exams-amid-time-zone-cheating-controversy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3269421/28-hong-kong-students-attain-perfect-score-ib-exams-amid-time-zone-cheating-controversy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jul 2024 03:28:40 +0000 James Modesto James Modesto Fourteen patients and a staff member in a geriatric ward of a Hong Kong public hospital have tested positive for Covid-19. The Hospital Authority said on Thursday that the patients, 12 men and two women aged between 33 and 88, in Ruttonjee Hospital’s geriatric infirmary ward had a fever and other symptoms. The group tested positive for the virus on June 27. An employee stationed in the ward was also infected. His symptoms included fever and coughing. All patients are in a stable condition and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3269138/14-patients-hong-kong-geriatric-ward-test-positive-covid-19-hospital-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3269138/14-patients-hong-kong-geriatric-ward-test-positive-covid-19-hospital-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2024 06:12:26 +0000 Hongkongers have capitalised on a slew of catering discounts and free museum passes on offer to mark this year’s handover anniversary, even as some residents celebrating the day lamented the city’s lack of political diversity in recent years. The Post on Monday observed dozens of Hongkongers opting for discount breakfasts on offer at restaurant chain Tai Hing and saw hundreds watching the fishing boat parade from Tsim Sha Tsui promenade. Thousands also took advantage of the free entry to the M+... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3268745/hongkongers-enjoy-july-1-handover-anniversary-deals-some-lament-loss-political-diversity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3268745/hongkongers-enjoy-july-1-handover-anniversary-deals-some-lament-loss-political-diversity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2024 10:09:18 +0000 Ryan Leung Chun-hay is aiming to become the first Hongkonger to swim a 34.5km-long strait between Northern Ireland and Scotland, considered the most difficult leg in a renowned series of open-water challenges. The 35-year-old, who works in the property development sector, will face rough seas, unpredictable weather and hundreds of jellyfish. “The challenge is not easy, but I believe my training has prepared me for the road ahead. I hope I can inspire others to take the leap to follow their... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3267686/trailblazing-hongkonger-ready-rough-seas-jellyfish-34km-oceans-seven-swim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3267686/trailblazing-hongkonger-ready-rough-seas-jellyfish-34km-oceans-seven-swim?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jun 2024 03:20:11 +0000 A 74-year-old paraglider who went missing for more than six hours while flying on Lantau Island in Hong Kong has died after being found unconscious. The man, reportedly with years of paragliding experience, took off from eastern Sunset Peak, the city’s third-highest mountain, on Monday afternoon. But he was said to have lost his way in foggy weather and could not be contacted later. The Post looks at the risks, safety practices and regulation of the sport in the city. 1. What do paragliders... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3267314/paragliding-hong-kong-what-you-should-know-after-man-dies-flying-poor-weather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3267314/paragliding-hong-kong-what-you-should-know-after-man-dies-flying-poor-weather?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2024 03:26:18 +0000 Hong Kong education authorities will assign managers to a school’s governing committee after a serious row among the leaders erupted over the sponsoring body’s plan to make the operation private and charge expensive debentures. The Confucian Academy, the sponsoring body of Confucian Tai Shing Primary School in Wong Tai Sin, announced over the weekend the institution would cease operating as a public school from the 2026-27 academic year. It also promised to give HK$10,000 (US$1,280) to every... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3266913/hong-kong-public-school-bosses-accuse-sponsor-keeping-it-dark-about-closing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3266913/hong-kong-public-school-bosses-accuse-sponsor-keeping-it-dark-about-closing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2024 08:09:28 +0000 Hongkongers can expect rainfall over the next few days, the local weather forecaster has said, as a southwesterly airstream off the coast of Guangdong province continues to affect southern China. “With the southwesterly airstream becoming active, there will be more showers with squally thunderstorms and it will be windy over the coast of Guangdong in the next couple of days,” the Hong Kong Observatory said on Thursday. The weather will be mainly cloudy with a few showers and thunderstorms on... https://www.scmp.com/weather/hong-kong/article/3266414/hong-kong-told-brace-showers-squally-thunderstorms-over-next-few-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/weather/hong-kong/article/3266414/hong-kong-told-brace-showers-squally-thunderstorms-over-next-few-days?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2024 04:23:07 +0000 Hong Kong’s dragon boat racers made a splash with residents and tourists for the Tuen Ng Festival and pulled in crowds of people to the competitions and carnivals staged across the city. Revellers on Monday ignored the occasional drop of rain and flocked to waterfronts in places such as Stanley, Tai O, Aberdeen, Sai Kung, Sha Tin, Tuen Mun and Tai Po to catch city and international events organised to mark the Dragon Boat Festival. Hong Kong had a hot day with temperatures between 26 and 32... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3266004/hong-kong-dragon-boat-racers-make-splash-tuen-ng-festival-amid-carnivals-contests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3266004/hong-kong-dragon-boat-racers-make-splash-tuen-ng-festival-amid-carnivals-contests?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2024 04:39:21 +0000 Hong Kong has prepared a spate of fun-filled activities to celebrate Tuen Ng Festival, also known as Dragon Boat Festival. The festival starting on Monday commemorates Qu Yuan, a poet and exiled statesman from the ancient Chu kingdom during the Warring States Period (476BC – 221BC). He drowned himself in the Miluo River in today’s Hunan province in 278BC following his state’s defeat. Yuan’s followers threw rice dumplings in the river to prevent fish from eating his corpse while also paddling... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3265930/no-plans-hong-kongs-dragon-boat-festival-post-has-you-covered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3265930/no-plans-hong-kongs-dragon-boat-festival-post-has-you-covered?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jun 2024 03:00:21 +0000 Hong Kong environment minister Tse Chin-wan told lawmakers on Wednesday that the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department was finalising a study on shortening the 120-day quarantine period for certain imported pet dogs and cats, which is among the longest in the world. The Post compares the quarantine policy in the city with the rules adopted in other places, and the need behind the possible relaxation. 1. How long is the quarantine in Hong Kong? The quarantine period for pets in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3265547/hong-kong-may-ease-pet-quarantine-rules-how-do-they-compare-rest-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3265547/hong-kong-may-ease-pet-quarantine-rules-how-do-they-compare-rest-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jun 2024 02:30:08 +0000