36 m. ago ‘I am numb’: Blackpink fans left devastated as Hong Kong concerts sell out fast

Tickets for K-pop sensation Blackpink’s concerts in Hong Kong sold out in a little more than an hour and a half of going on general sale, leaving many fans disappointed. A Post reporter visited the ticket booking platform Cityline when sales opened on Friday at 11am. However, by noon, the wait time on the loading page, of more than an hour, had not shortened, while only limited tickets remained. By around 12.40pm all tickets for the two scheduled shows at Kai Tak Stadium on January 24 and 25...

Politics

53 m. ago Veteran lawyer Moses Cheng picked to steer Hong Kong’s maritime hub push

Top government adviser and veteran lawyer Moses Cheng Mo-chi has been appointed to steer a high-level body established to develop Hong Kong’s status as an international maritime hub. Cheng’s appointment as the board chairman of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board (HKMPDB) was announced on Friday. The 74-year-old is a senior consultant at a law firm and a member of the Executive Council, the city’s top decision-making body. Discussing the selection, Secretary for Transport and...

Politics

6 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 to remain in force for most of Friday

The Hong Kong Observatory has said the No 1 typhoon warning signal will remain in force for most of Friday, as the storm edges slightly away from the city. The forecaster said in a special weather warning at 8am on Friday that Severe Tropical Storm Wutip intensified on Thursday night but had taken a slightly westward path away from Hong Kong. “The standby signal No 1 will remain in force for most of the time [on Friday],” it said. “The Observatory will assess [between Friday night and Saturday...

Events

6 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong’s T1 alert to remain in force for Friday

The Hong Kong Observatory has said the No 1 typhoon warning signal will remain in force on Friday as it considers whether to raise the signal on Saturday. The forecaster said on Friday afternoon that Severe Tropical Storm Wutip, which brought squally showers to the coast of Guangdong, will turn northeastwards gradually. “The standby signal No 1 will remain in force [on Friday],” the forecaster said. Wutip, which is the Cantonese word for “butterfly”, will move across Beibu Wan on Friday,...

Events

6 h. ago Hong Kong’s gig economy workers want industry regulated. Can city deliver?

Hong Kong food delivery rider John Lam* cannot afford to make a single mistake while working. The 40-year-old takes extreme care while delivering orders on his motorcycle, knowing that if he has a work-related accident he will receive few employment benefits and minimal compensation. “I understand that being highly responsive to my phone can lead to more orders. But for safety reasons, I only handle my phone when my vehicle has completely stopped,” said Lam, who delivers food for the city’s two...

Economics

16 h. ago Beijing national security authorities carry out operation with police in Hong Kong

Beijing’s national security authorities in Hong Kong launched a joint operation with local counterparts on Thursday over a case of suspected collusion with foreign forces. The investigation is the first publicly known joint operation by Beijing’s national security arm in the city and the local police force. According to authorities, six people and an organisation were suspected of having committed the offence of “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national...

Events

18 h. ago Hongkongers may have to pay higher tolls at Aberdeen Tunnel, Shing Mun Tunnels

Hongkongers may have to pay more to use the Aberdeen Tunnel and the Shing Mun Tunnels under a government proposal to raise tolls from HK$5 (64 US cents) to HK$8 to help recoup some of their hefty annual losses, the Post has learned. The tunnels’ current flat fee of HK$5 for all vehicles has remained unchanged for 34 years. A source said on Thursday that authorities were planning to raise the toll to HK$8. The Shing Mun Tunnels recorded a deficit of HK$52 million in the 2023-24 financial year,...

Politics

18 h. ago WeChat Pay records fourfold rise in mainland tourist taxi payments in Hong Kong

WeChat Pay Hong Kong has recorded a fourfold increase in mainland Chinese tourist payments for taxi services in the city from last year and growing usage among locals and visitors alike, according to parent company Tencent. Vice-President of Tencent Financial Technology Daniel Hong Danyi said on Thursday that the number of transactions from mainland tourists paying for taxi fares through WeChat Pay had seen a fourfold increase year on year. “We saw that previously, many mainland tourists coming...

Economics

19 h. ago Customs works with University of Hong Kong to develop crypto transaction tracer

Customs officials are working with the University of Hong Kong to develop a tool that can trace cryptocurrency transactions, with the authority stressing it had recorded seven suspected money laundering cases involving virtual assets and more than HK$9 billion (US$1.1 billion) in recent years. Mario Wong Ho-yin, assistant commissioner for intelligence and investigation at the Customs and Excise Department, said on Thursday it would ramp up collaborations with academics, finance and virtual asset...

Politics

20 h. ago Hong Kong passes bill to launch electronic driving licences in September

Hong Kong will introduce electronic driving licences in mid-September following the passage of a bill by the legislature, but lawmakers have questioned the need to spend HK$12.5 million (US$1.59 million) to fund a related mobile application. Some legislators also urged authorities to take a flexible approach to enforcement, especially in cases in which drivers had trouble displaying their documents on smartphones, thereby giving them time to adapt to the new system. The legislative amendment,...

Politics

20 h. ago Hong Kong tobacco tycoon Charles Ho dies at 75 after lung cancer diagnosis

Hong Kong tobacco and media tycoon Charles Ho Tsu-kwok, formerly the chairman of the Sing Tao News Corporation, has died at the age of 75. He revealed in February that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer last year. Two sources confirmed his death on Thursday, but it was unclear when he died. Ho previously served as a standing committee member of China’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and controlled the Sing Tao News Corp before he sold his...

Events

22 h. ago China’s Ant International to seek stablecoin licence in Hong Kong

Fintech firm Ant International, the global affiliate of Chinese tech giant Ant Group, said it would apply for a stablecoin issuer licence in Hong Kong once the new ordinance governing fiat-backed cryptocurrencies comes into effect in August. “We welcome the passage of the Stablecoins Bill and hope to contribute more to the city’s vision as a global hub for next-gen finance,” Ant International said in a statement on Thursday. “We plan to apply for the fiat-referenced stablecoins issuer’s...

Politics

22 h. ago Ant International and Ant Digital to seek stablecoin licences in Hong Kong

Singapore-based Ant International and the Hangzhou-based Ant Digital, two affiliates of Chinese tech giant Ant Group, have announced plans to apply for stablecoin issuer licences in Hong Kong once the new ordinance governing fiat-backed cryptocurrencies takes effect in August. “We welcome the passage of the Stablecoins Bill and hope to contribute more to the city’s vision as a global hub for next-gen finance,” Ant International, a spin-off of Ant’s global operations, said in a statement on...

Politics

22 h. ago Hong Kong Airlines cuts Japan routes over sluggish tourism and tremor concerns

Hong Kong Airlines is set to cancel flights to Kagoshima and Kumamoto in Japan in July and August, citing sluggish demand for tourism in the country, while flight schedules between the city and Nagoya will also be adjusted. The carrier announced the flight adjustments on Thursday amid growing concerns about a long-feared megaquake predicted to hit Japan. The airline said affected passengers could rebook to other destinations, including other cities in Japan and mainland China, as well as Taipei,...

Society

22 h. ago Hong Kong flights to 2 Japanese cities cut over sluggish tourism and quake fears

Hong Kong Airlines is set to cancel flights to Kagoshima and Kumamoto in Japan in July and August, citing sluggish demand for tourism in the country, while flight schedules between the city and Nagoya will also be adjusted. The carrier announced the flight adjustments on Thursday amid growing concerns about a long-feared megaquake predicted to hit Japan. The airline said affected passengers could rebook for other destinations, including other cities in Japan and mainland China, as well as...

Politics

22 h. ago Fire erupts in Hong Kong shopping district, with smoke billowing into streets

A fire erupted in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay on Thursday afternoon, with smoke billowing into the streets of the shopping district. A Post reporter observed smoke coming from what appeared to be the ground floor entrance of the Apartment O service flats near Eton Tower, with emergency personnel arriving at the scene to extinguish the blaze. At least nine fire trucks were spotted in the area. Police and firefighters also blocked off road access along Hoi Ping Road. The smoke could be smelt from...

Economics

22 h. ago Firefighters put out blaze in busy Hong Kong shopping district

Hong Kong firefighters have extinguished a blaze that erupted in Causeway Bay on Thursday afternoon and caused smoke to billow into the streets of the busy shopping district. The Information Services Department said the fire was put out at around 4.48pm, nearly an hour and a half after the blaze was first reported. The Fire Services Department said that no injuries were reported, adding that the cause of the blaze was still under investigation. A Post reporter earlier observed smoke coming from...

Economics

23 h. ago Teen star of Hong Kong documentary on DSE exams convicted of theft again

A Hong Kong student who starred in a popular web documentary about the city’s university entrance exams has been convicted of theft for a second time after pleading guilty to shoplifting at a supermarket. Eastern Court on Thursday recorded a guilty plea from Tang Ngai-hong, who admitted to stealing a bag of fruit and two packets of potato chips from the Fresh supermarket at Kornhill Plaza North in Quarry Bay on January 5. The offence took place just five months after the 19-year-old was fined...

Politics

24 h. ago Applications for 2,576 Hong Kong subsidised flats to open in third quarter of 2025

Public housing tenants can apply to buy more than 2,500 subsidised flats in Hong Kong in the third quarter of this year, with the homes to go for 60 per cent of the market price, the Post has learned. An insider said on Thursday that the Housing Authority would offer 2,576 new subsidised flats at a site in Kowloon this year under the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme, which focuses on residents living in public housing estates. Prices would range from HK$1.15 million (US$146,500) to...

Politics

24 h. ago Applications for 2,576 Hong Kong subsidised flats to open in third quarter

Public housing tenants can apply to buy more than 2,500 subsidised flats in Hong Kong in the third quarter of this year, with the homes to go for 60 per cent of the market price, the Post has learned. An insider said on Thursday that the Housing Authority would offer 2,576 new subsidised flats at a site in Kowloon this year under the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme, which focuses on residents living in public housing estates. Prices would range from HK$1.15 million (US$146,500) to...

Politics