16 h. ago Hong Kong authorities ‘very concerned’ as dozens face eviction from subdivided flats

Hong Kong authorities are “very concerned” about subdivided flat tenants facing eviction from a Cheung Sha Wan building by March, after the landlord’s plans to upgrade the premises to comply with new rules left dozens in need of temporary housing. The Housing Bureau said on Monday that it was in contact with 109 households in the Yee Wa Building on Un Chau Street, with 72 expressing a need for transitional housing. The remaining 37 households said they were considering applying for such housing...

Politics

16 h. ago ‘It’s like asking us to die’: Hong Kong subdivided flat tenants seek aid as eviction looms

Hong Kong authorities are “very concerned” about subdivided flat tenants facing eviction from a Cheung Sha Wan building by March, after the landlord’s plans to upgrade the premises to comply with new rules left dozens in need of temporary housing. The Housing Bureau said on Monday that it was in contact with 109 households in the Yee Wa Building on Un Chau Street, with 72 expressing a need for transitional housing. The remaining 37 households said they were considering applying for such housing...

Events

20 h. ago Hong Kong Housing Authority members urge clarity on Tai Po rental site swap

Members of Hong Kong’s Housing Authority have urged the government to clarify how a proposal to resettle residents displaced by the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po at a site designated for public rental flats will not impact the thousands currently on the waiting list. They made the call on Monday during a meeting of the public body, during which Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin identified the site, also in Tai Po, as a “good choice” for the long-term resettlement of the 5,000-odd...

Politics

45 h. ago ‘If you don’t die, it’s an adventure’: Hong Kong blogger’s Iran trip sparks travel debate

A Hong Kong travel blogger whose brief disappearance during a solo trip to protest-hit Iran has triggered a heated online debate over the safety of women travelling alone to politically volatile nations. More female solo travellers took to the internet on Sunday to share their experiences and feelings on visiting Iran for leisure, as the country became embroiled in social unrest and was isolated from the rest of the world. Hong Kong authorities on Saturday night confirmed the missing blogger...

Events

45 h. ago Hong Kong blogger’s Iran trip sparks travel debate: ‘if you don’t die, it’s an adventure’

A Hong Kong travel blogger’s brief disappearance during a solo trip to protest-hit Iran has triggered a heated online debate over the safety of women travelling alone to politically volatile nations. More female solo travellers took to the internet on Sunday to share their experiences and feelings on visiting Iran for leisure, as the country became embroiled in social unrest and was isolated from the rest of the world. Hong Kong authorities on Saturday night confirmed the missing blogger known...

Events

56 h. ago Hong Kong authorities to review medium of instruction in schools after major study

Hong Kong education authorities will review the policy on the medium of instruction in public secondary schools for the 2028-34 cycle after looking at the results of a three-year evaluation study and consulting the sector, the Post has learned. The review comes as a council representing subsidised secondary schools urged the government to allow more institutions to teach subjects in English to better prepare pupils moving on to higher education programmes conducted in the language. The Education...

Culture

3 d. 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

3 d. 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

3 d. 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

5 d. 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

6 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

7 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

8 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

8 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

8 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

8 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

8 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

8 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

9 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

1 week 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