Nearly 60 per cent of homeless residents in Hong Kong plan to reduce medical visits in response to higher public medical fees introduced this year, a non-governmental organisation survey has found, with advocates urging authorities to introduce automatic waivers and simplify subsidy application procedures. Kenny Ng Kwan-lim, deputy head of programmes at Impact HK, a
Hong Kong should not renew the HK$3 per litre diesel subsidy when it expires at the end of June. Instead, it should use the funds to launch a crash programme to accelerate electrification of public transport, starting with the minibus fleet. The crisis in the Middle East has had a serious impact on fuel prices.
Hong Kong is set for its strongest quarterly growth in nearly five years, the city’s finance chief has said, citing a 17 per cent rise in visitor numbers and a 5.2 per cent increase in retail and catering activity. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in his Sunday blog that 602,000 visitors entered Hong Kong
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory has warned that hail may affect the city shortly, after issuing the amber rainstorm signal on Sunday afternoon. The amber signal was raised at 2.20pm, indicating heavy rain exceeding 30mm
CCIDA and Hong Kong Film Development Council congratulate Yuen Woo-ping on receiving Golden Mulberry Award for Lifetime Achievement The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, together with the Hong Kong Film Development Council (FDC), led an industry delegation to participate in the 28th Far East Film Festival
Singapore wealth-tech firms are increasingly using Hong Kong as their first major overseas expansion market, betting that the city’s large pool of idle savings, deep wealth base and role as a regional financial hub will support the scaling of their retail investment platforms. The latest entrant, Chocolate Finance, launched in Hong Kong last month with
Industry leaders from Hong Kong’s property management sector have said a security staff shortfall of up to 25 per cent persists, as they defended a major housing estate’s recruitment of one-third of its guards from across the border. The owners’ corporation of Richland Gardens in Kowloon Bay has come under fire after announcing on social
Perched above the streets of Tai Hang, the 91-year-old Haw Par Mansion has stood as a watchman to Hong Kong’s evolving history. The mansion and its front garden are the only remaining sections of what was once a sprawling estate and theme park built in the 1930s by the Aw family of Tiger Balm ointment
For decades, Hong Kong’s tourism success rested on a clear formula: shopping, dining and urban experiences. That model is losing momentum. Overnight visitor spending has fallen from around HK$193 billion (US$24.6 billion) in 2015 to HK$128 billion last year. Shopping has declined sharply as spending shifts to sightseeing and experiences. Travellers are no longer coming
Members of unlicensed hiking tours were among the hundreds of visitors who packed into Hong Kong’s Ham Tin Wan campsite on the second of mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” break. The sink at the scenic Sai Kung hotspot’s only public bathroom was left clogged by food scraps after some visitors opted for hotpot, among
Hong Kong police have arrested two people on suspicion of burglary after one of them allegedly climbed maintenance work scaffolding at a residential building and prised open window grilles at two homes before stealing HK$6,000 (US$765) in cash. The force also warned on Saturday that it was becoming a trend for burglars to enter flats
A 25-year-old Hong Kong woman was cheated out of more than HK$2.25 million (US$287,190) in one month after falling prey to a job scam, prompting calls for tighter rules requiring online employment platforms to verify employers. The victim said on Saturday at a press briefing held by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions that
Hongkongers are forming long queues at betting stations for the chance to win a share of the HK$228 million (US$29.1 million) snowball draw – the city’s largest Mark Six jackpot. The winning numbers are set to be announced late on Saturday evening, with the turnover reaching more than six times the amount for the previous
Hong Kong authorities are searching for a 28-year-old man who went hiking and lost contact with his family after a dispute with his girlfriend, with a helicopter deployed to aid in the operation. Police said on Saturday that they received a report at 11.30am from a man who said his younger brother had lost contact
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong is expected to experience thunderstorms on Sunday, as a cold front sweeps across the coast of Guangdong and brings temperatures down to as low as about 21 degrees Celsius (69.8 Fahrenheit) a
Hong Kong authorities issued 300 verbal warnings to people visiting Sharp Island on the first day of mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” holiday, when thousands flocked to see attractions in the city’s Unesco Global Geopark. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said on Saturday that the number of visitors to Sharp Island a day
A home in the upscale Shouson Hill area in Hong Kong’s Southern district has allegedly been burgled, with luxury watches and foreign currency worth a total of more than HK$1.1 million (US$140,400) stolen. Police are looking into whether the burglars scaled the wall of a vacant neighbouring detached house at Orchid Hill to enter 26
Hong Kong authorities expect the eastern section of the HK$7 billion (US$893 million) Fanling Bypass, which opens to traffic on Sunday, will prevent congestion ahead of residents moving into a nearby new development area later this year. At the opening ceremony on Saturday, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said the 4km (2.49 miles) dual
Hong Kong recorded a 13 per cent year-on-year increase in mainland Chinese visitors on the first day of the “golden week” Labour Day holiday, with more than 300,000 inbound trips made throughout the day. Meanwhile, the number of Hongkongers leaving the city on Friday also surged by 45 per cent compared with last year, reaching
The Hong Kong government is confident that at least three-quarters of homeowners of Wang Chi House – the only block unscathed in the Wang Fuk Court fire – will accept its buy-back package by the end of June. Speaking on Saturday, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun said few owners were likely to change their
