17 h. ago Hong Kong contractors rated poorly by homeowners face removal after Tai Po fire

Hong Kong authorities may remove building maintenance contractors from a government-recommended list if homeowners are dissatisfied with their performance, as part of measures to combat bid-rigging following the deadly Tai Po fire, the city’s No 2 official has said. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok‑ki said on Saturday that the government aimed to improve the Urban Renewal Authority’s “Smart Tender” scheme by establishing a pre‑selected list of qualified contractors. The scheme provides support to...

Events

19 h. ago Machinery use suspended after worker severs hand at Hong Kong recycling centre

Hong Kong authorities have issued a suspension notice to a contractor at a government-run recycling centre after a worker severed his palm while clearing debris from a wood-chipping machine. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) on Saturday said it was “highly concerned” about the incident, which occurred at around 2pm the day before at the Y·Park yard waste recycling centre in Tuen Mun. The worker was trying to clear debris stuck in an operating wood chipper when his left palm was...

Economics

34 h. ago Hongkonger reported missing in Iran ‘for many days’ amid internet shutdown, protests

Immigration authorities have confirmed receiving a plea for help concerning a Hong Kong resident reported missing “for many days” in Iran, as the country faces a nationwide internet shutdown amid protests against the government. A spokesman for the Immigration Department told the Post on Friday that it had received “a relevant inquiry” and was in touch with the Chinese consulate in Bandar Abbas and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ local arm in the city. A source confirmed the inquiry came from...

Events

65 h. ago Hong Kong authorities halt use of elevating platform at work site after worker death

Hong Kong labour authorities have suspended the use of elevating platforms at a construction site where a 65-year-old worker died after getting trapped between the device’s railing and a wall. The Labour Department on Thursday said it was “saddened” by the death and had launched an investigation to identify the cause of the accident that took place at the Victoria Blossom housing project on Shing Fung Lane in Kai Tak on Wednesday afternoon. A spokesman said the department had issued suspension...

Economics

4 d. ago Hong Kong government to replace Tai Po district officer Eunice Chan

Hong Kong authorities have replaced Tai Po district officer Eunice Chan Hau-man, who recently apologised for her choice of attire at the funeral of the firefighter who died in the catastrophic Wang Fuk Court fire. Two government sources told the Post on Tuesday that her removal was not triggered by the episode, but had been planned “for a long period of time” after multiple internal complaints against Chan, who had served in the role for seven years. Those complaints were related to her abrasive...

Politics

5 d. ago Singapore takes stock of lessons from Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze

Singapore has begun reviewing early findings from the investigation into Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po high-rise blaze, with ministers signalling that lessons from the tragedy could feed into tighter rules on construction and maintenance works in the city state. Lawmakers said in parliament on Monday that observations made by Hong Kong authorities about the fire at Wang Fuk Court would be studied and, where relevant, incorporated into Singapore’s legislation and policy framework. The blaze, which...

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong DAB chief urges respect for Tai Po fire survivors’ community ties

The head of Hong Kong’s largest political party has urged authorities to respect the deep-rooted community ties of residents displaced by the deadly Tai Po inferno, amid growing concerns that the government might rule out the option of rebuilding on the original site. Gary Chan Hak-kan, chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said on Monday that while Wang Fuk Court residents had different demands, the mainstream view was to move into new housing as...

Events

5 d. ago Hong Kong beefs up environmental impact reviews with AI, laser

Hong Kong authorities are using artificial intelligence (AI) and laser-based sensors to improve environmental impact assessments for major projects, with plans to use these tools for sustainable development in the Northern Metropolis. The Environmental Protection Department has been employing two systems – one for detecting bird species and another for monitoring trees – at Hong Kong Wetland Park in Tin Shui Wai since last year, in preparation for the planned expansion. The AI-driven bird...

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong strengthens environmental impact reviews with AI, laser

Hong Kong authorities are using artificial intelligence (AI) and laser-based sensors to improve environmental impact assessments for major projects, with plans to use these tools for sustainable development in the Northern Metropolis. The Environmental Protection Department has been employing two systems – one for detecting bird species and another for monitoring trees – at Hong Kong Wetland Park in Tin Shui Wai since last year, in preparation for the planned expansion. The AI-driven bird...

Politics

6 d. ago Expert panel formed in Hong Kong to probe chronic water loss at Yuen Long estate

Hong Kong authorities have set up a three-member expert group to look into persistent freshwater losses at Yuen Long’s Fairview Park housing estate, following criticism from landlords over bureaucratic inertia. But the Water Supplies Department maintained that it was not responsible for repairing water pipes laid within private land, though authorities would provide technical support to residents. In a Facebook post on Sunday, the department said it had commissioned an independent expert panel...

Politics

6 d. ago Hong Kong plans to complete Kowloon waterfront promenade projects by 2028

Hong Kong authorities plan to complete several promenade projects linking the Kowloon waterfront by the end of 2028, extending the total length of pedestrian pathways on both sides of Victoria Harbour to 34km (21 miles). The Development Bureau said on Sunday that 14km, or 70 per cent of the 21km developable waterfront on the Kowloon side, had already opened, nearly two weeks after the long-awaited 13km promenade on Hong Kong Island was fully connected. Some sections are set for completion within...

Politics

6 d. ago Hong Kong issues 4 tickets from 700 new site inspections under expanded smoking ban

Hong Kong health authorities have issued four fixed penalty tickets in newly designated no smoking areas, including outside hospitals, clinics and tram stops, following more than 700 inspections since the city expanded its tobacco control measures on New Year’s Day. Ten days into the enforcement of the broadened ban, tobacco control officers carried out more than 1,600 total inspections citywide, with more than 700 in sites newly brought under the prohibition, according to Director of Health Dr...

Politics

7 d. ago Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority approves 85% of fee waiver requests on average

Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has said it receives about 5,000 public medical fee waiver applications a day under a recent shake-up, with an average approval rate of around 85 per cent, following complaints from patients about complicated procedures. The authority released the numbers on Saturday, which showed that the approval rate for fee reductions at some public hospital clusters reached nearly 90 per cent, with patients issued a certificate on the same day they applied. “The Hospital...

Politics

8 d. ago Housing anxiety impeding Hong Kong fire trauma recovery: mental health experts

Anxiety over housing has hindered the psychological healing of residents affected by the deadly Tai Po fire, mental health professionals have said, as Hong Kong authorities begin polling flat owners on their preferences for long-term resettlement. The inferno that broke out on November 26 at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court claimed 161 lives, injured 79, and displaced almost 5,000 residents, most of whom are now living in hotels, youth hostels or transitional housing. The government said on Friday that...

Events

9 d. ago Toxins ruled out in 13 cases of Hong Kong infants falling ill after having Nestle formula

Hong Kong health authorities have received 14 reports of infants feeling unwell after consuming potentially contaminated Nestlé baby formula, but nearly all of the cases have been cleared of involving a toxin found in recalled products. The Department of Health earlier issued a warning after Nestlé recalled 21 batches of baby formula made in Europe due to the possible presence of cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus, a substance that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea if ingested. The department...

Politics

9 d. ago Toxins ruled out in 13 cases of Hong Kong infants falling ill after having Nestlé formula

Hong Kong health authorities have received 14 reports of infants feeling unwell after consuming potentially contaminated Nestlé baby milk formula, but nearly all of the cases have been cleared of involving a toxin found in recalled products. The government earlier issued a warning after Nestlé recalled 21 batches of baby milk formula made in Europe due to the possible presence of cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus, a substance that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea if ingested. The Department...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong’s embattled Urban Renewal Authority raises HK$8 billion in bond sale

Hong Kong’s beleaguered Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has raised HK$8 billion (US$1.02 billion) by selling bonds to finance capital expenditure and new projects. The cash-strapped authority on Wednesday said it sold two tranches of bonds, one worth HK$5 billion with a five-year term and the other for HK$3 billion with a 10-year term. The coupon rates were 2.95 per cent and 3.48 per cent, respectively. It marked the URA’s return to the bond market for the first time since August 2024, when it...

Economics

1 week ago Hong Kong pharmacies pull Nestle baby milk formula amid recall over toxin risk

Hong Kong pharmacies have begun removing batches of Nestle infant milk formula from their shelves, following a recall prompted by potential contamination with a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting. Nestle Hong Kong apologised to parents for any distress or inconvenience caused, saying that it had not received any reports of illness or discomfort related to the products to date. Hong Kong food safety authorities said on Tuesday that Nestle had initiated a voluntary precautionary recall of...

Events

1 week ago Hong Kong moves ticketing for driving licence applications online to beat touts

Hong Kong transport authorities will fully move ticketing for test-free driving licence applications online from Monday, after the highly sought-after service attracted long queues and scalpers. The Transport Department said on Wednesday that the policy change, resulting in walk-in applications being cancelled, aimed to distribute tickets in a fair and orderly manner. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan had told the department on Tuesday to find prompt solutions. Hong Kong currently...

Politics

1 week ago 2 owners of Hong Kong eatery arrested for hiring 5 illegal workers in food factory

Hong Kong immigration authorities have broken up an operation in which two local restaurant owners hired illegal foreign workers at their food factory to supply products to their eatery and culinary fairs in the city. Pau Hiu-fung from the Immigration Department’s foreign domestic helpers investigation section said on Tuesday that two owners of a local Southeast Asian restaurant and five illegal workers they hired were arrested last Saturday. “Our investigations show that the food produced by...

Events