36 h. ago Contractors’ botches lead to bans on bidding for Hong Kong public projects

Contractors at the centre of construction botches at three Hong Kong light public housing sites last year have been banned from bidding for public projects for up to a year, the government has said. The firm responsible for overseeing work quality, Able Engineering, has also been ordered to pay the extra costs for fixing the problems. It also faces a disciplinary hearing for alleged “serious negligence or misconduct in the construction works”, and a possible criminal investigation by police. The...

Politics

52 h. ago Banks and brokerages’ growing demand for space buoys Hong Kong’s retail property sector

Hong Kong’s banking and finance sector is tipped to lead retail property leasing activity, with massive uptake by firms like Forthright Securities, Futu Holdings and HSBC providing support to landlords struggling through a multi-year real estate slump. Forthright Securities leased three storeys totalling 14,000 sq ft at Golden Centre in Sheung Wan for its first flagship branch in the city, according to CBRE, which facilitated the transaction. “This transaction not only demonstrates Forthright...

Politics

4 d. ago Beijing calls on Hong Kong to take lead in globalising traditional Chinese medicine

China’s top health official has called on Hong Kong to serve as a key pillar in promoting traditional Chinese medicine globally, as the city’s leader pledged to align local policies with the national development strategy in the field. At a launch ceremony for the Chinese Medicine Hospital and nearby testing institute on Tuesday, National Health Commission head Lei Haichao offered advice for Hong Kong in advancing the development of traditional Chinese Medicine. “Serve the globe for the benefit...

Politics

9 d. ago Independent committee probing Hong Kong fire to start hearings within first quarter

Hearings to be conducted by an independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades will begin within the first quarter, with Victor Dawes, former chairman of the city’s professional barristers’ group, appointed as lead counsel in the inquiry, the Post has learned. Six weeks after the conflagration claimed 161 lives in Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, the health authorities said on Thursday that ten residents remained in hospital in stable condition, while a district council working...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong trade office head picked to lead body coordinating Northern Metropolis

The director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong has been picked to lead the government body coordinating the Northern Metropolis, after authorities previously pledged to fast-track the megaproject’s development. The government announced on Friday that Linda So Wai-sze would become the director of the Northern Metropolis Coordination Office from Monday next week. The position has been vacant for nearly two months, with the office’s deputy director, Pecvin Yong Pui-wan,...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong to close roads in Central at 2pm on New Year’s Eve ahead of countdown

Hong Kong police will close roads in Central starting from 2pm on New Year’s Eve ahead of a countdown event at the Chater Road pedestrian zone, featuring music and light shows to replace fireworks displays after the deadly inferno in Tai Po. Mason Hung Chung-hing, the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s lead adviser for event and product development, said on Monday that organisers hoped the event, themed “New Hope, New Beginning”, could foster a sense of renewal. “We will use a new format that combines...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong to close roads in Central from 2pm on New Year’s Eve ahead of countdown

Hong Kong police will close roads in Central starting from 2pm on New Year’s Eve ahead of a countdown event at the Chater Road pedestrian zone, featuring music and light shows to replace fireworks displays after the deadly inferno in Tai Po. Mason Hung Chung-hing, the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s lead adviser for event and product development, said on Monday that organisers hoped the event, themed “New Hope, New Beginning”, could foster a sense of renewal. “We will use a new format that combines...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong could take ‘lead in supporting Greater Bay Area children with autism’

Hong Kong could take a leading role in supporting children with autism in the Greater Bay Area, a former medical faculty dean has said, ahead of plans for a comprehensive care platform to come into operation within a year. Professor Francis Chan Ka-leung of the Chinese University of Hong Kong said the one-stop platform would comprise professionals from the medical, education, insurance and finance sectors, among others. The academic said that a research team from the university’s medical school...

Politics