19 h. ago Hong Kong developers push for smoking ban at construction sites after deadly fire

Major Hong Kong developers are considering a blanket ban on smoking for workers at all construction sites following the deadly Tai Po blaze that killed 159, with at least two already demanding that all their contractors impose the tough rule or step up penalties. The Real Estate Developers Association (REDA) told the Post on Friday that it was gathering views on the smoking ban from its members, including major developers such as Sino Land, Swire Properties, Sun Hung Kai and New World...

Events

63 h. ago High drama in Hong Kong as tilting gondola traps 2 workers on luxury tower

Firefighters rescued two workers who were trapped mid-air for over an hour after a gondola suspended from the top of a Hong Kong high-rise luxury tower malfunctioned and tilted sideways. Police said they received a report at 2.50pm from a security guard at The Belcher’s, a residential development near the University of Hong Kong, that two workers were stranded on a gondola attached to Tower 8 of the development. The Belcher’s is a large residential complex on Pok Fu Lam Road with six high-rise...

Events

7 d. ago Hong Kong developers Emperor and Lai Sun find relief amid debt pressures

Emperor International Holdings has secured bank approval to resume borrowing under existing terms by nearly two years, providing the embattled Hong Kong developer with much-needed breathing room after it failed to meet HK$16.6 billion (US$2.13 billion) in debt obligations in July. Meanwhile, shares of Lai Sun Development (LSD) resumed trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Friday, after the firm said it was negotiating a potential asset sale alongside its parent company, Lai Sun Garment...

Events

8 d. ago Regal Hotels to offer 160 free rooms for 2 weeks to help Tai Po victims

Regal Hotels International will offer free lodging at a dozen of its hotels across Hong Kong to the victims of Wednesday’s Tai Po fire, as it joins other hoteliers and corporate donors in rushing to the aid of the city’s worst blaze in seven decades. The hotel will make 160 rooms freely available to those affected by the Tai Po fire for two weeks, a spokeswoman said, citing instructions from the hotel’s chairwoman Poman Lo. The rooms will be sourced from Regal’s 12 properties across the city,...

Events

8 d. ago Hong Kong developers, hoteliers offer free lodging to Tai Po fire victims

Regal Hotels International will offer free lodging at a dozen of its hotels across Hong Kong to the victims of Wednesday’s Tai Po fire, as it joins other hoteliers and corporate donors in rushing to their aid after the city’s worst blaze in seven decades. The hotel group would make 160 rooms freely available to those affected by the Tai Po fire for two weeks, a spokeswoman said, citing instructions from the hotel’s vice-chairman Poman Lo. The rooms would be sourced from Regal’s 12 properties...

Events

8 d. ago HK finance chief seeks to attract Italian company listings on stock exchange

Hong Kong’s finance chief courted Italian companies on Thursday to go public on the city’s stock exchange, which would allow them to tap into mainland Chinese liquidity and solidify their presence in Asia. Addressing the Trade Development Council’s “Think Business, Think Hong Kong” symposium in Milan, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po highlighted the deepening ties between Hong Kong and Italy, noting their shared passion for creativity and enterprise and “flourishing” bilateral trade worth...

Politics

8 d. ago Hong Kong’s finance chief seeks to attract Italian company listings on HKEX

Hong Kong’s finance chief courted Italian companies on Thursday to go public on the city’s stock exchange, which would allow them to tap into mainland Chinese liquidity and solidify their presence in Asia. Addressing the Trade Development Council’s “Think Business, Think Hong Kong” symposium in Milan, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po highlighted the deepening ties between Hong Kong and Italy, noting their shared passion for creativity and enterprise and “flourishing” bilateral trade worth...

Politics

8 d. ago Hong Kong developers Sino Group, NWD delay sales amid grief over Tai Po fire

Hong Kong’s developers have postponed property sales scheduled for Friday as the city mourns the deaths of dozens of residents in a devastating fire that broke out in Tai Po. Sino Group and New World Development announced on Thursday that the sale of 150 units at One Park Place in Yau Tong, and 63 units at the Austin Bohemian project in Yau Ma Tei, respectively, would be deferred. Both Sino Group and NWD did not disclose the reason for the postponement or when the sales would be rescheduled. The...

Events

8 d. ago Hong Kong developers Sino Group, NWD delay flat sales amid Tai Po fire grief

Hong Kong developers have postponed property sales scheduled for Friday as the city mourns the deaths of dozens of residents in a devastating fire that broke out in Tai Po. Sino Group and New World Development announced on Thursday that the sale of 150 units at One Park Place in Yau Tong and 63 units at the Austin Bohemian project in Yau Ma Tei, respectively, would be deferred. Both Sino Group and NWD did not disclose the reason for the postponement or when sales would be rescheduled. Meanwhile,...

Events

9 d. ago Hong Kong’s HKChat app raises AI expectations as 90,000 join app in debut week

Hong Kong’s first locally developed artificial intelligence chatbot, HKChat, has raised expectations that it could compete with more popular and established AI apps, as it racked up around 90,000 users in the city within a week of its low-key release. HKChat is focused on providing information on local services, including real-time bus arrivals, as well as the city’s weather, laws and regulations. It was the top-ranked free app on Apple’s Hong Kong App Store on Sunday, according to data from app...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong’s HKChat raises AI expectations as 90,000 users join app in debut week

Hong Kong’s first locally developed artificial intelligence chatbot, HKChat, has raised expectations that it could compete with more popular and established AI apps, as it racked up around 90,000 users in the city within a week of its low-key release. HKChat is focused on providing information on local services, including real-time bus arrivals, as well as the city’s weather, laws and regulations. It was the top-ranked free app on Apple’s Hong Kong App Store on Sunday, according to data from app...

Politics

9 d. ago Developing | 36 dead, 279 missing in Hong Kong housing estate blaze

Developing | 36 dead, 279 missing in Hong Kong housing estate blaze  South China Morning Post

Events

9 d. ago Hong Kong aims to boost Legco voters with HK$5 million worth of offers and perks

Both Hong Kong authorities and a major developer are offering residents an array of discounts and perks during the Legislative Council election weekend, including complimentary entry to swimming pools and museums, in a bid to boost voter turnout. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki announced on Wednesday that voters would also receive a thank-you card upon casting their ballot, redeemable for discounts and coupons totalling HK$5 million (US$643,000) across Chow Tai Fook Group’s dining, insurance...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong to boost Legco voter turnout with HK$5 million in offers and perks

Both Hong Kong authorities and a major developer are offering residents an array of discounts and perks during the Legislative Council election weekend, including complimentary entry to swimming pools and museums, in a bid to boost voter turnout. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki announced on Wednesday that voters would also receive a thank-you card upon casting their ballot, which could be redeemed for discounts and coupons worth a total of HK$5 million (US$643,000) across Chow Tai Fook Group’s...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia set to launch US$1 billion fund, Paul Chan says

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia will launch a US$1 billion fund to help companies from Hong Kong and other cities in the Greater Bay Area expand into the Middle Eastern country, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Tuesday. The move was expected to contribute to the development of non-oil economic sectors in Saudi Arabia, he said. “Next month, a major Saudi development company will be hosting a roadshow in Hong Kong to seek strategic...

Economics

2 w. ago Hong Kong’s Legco election should priortise substance over spectacle

These are interesting times in Hong Kong politics. Rarely has the city seen the government get so involved in galvanising voters ahead of the Legislative Council election. These things have traditionally been the work of political parties and groups. And that is one prominent feature of the development of Hong Kong’s “patriots-only” political system. Before the overhaul of the election system, voter turnout was a barometer of sorts for the election outcome. Conventional wisdom was that the...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong’s Legco election should prioritise substance over spectacle

These are interesting times in Hong Kong politics. Rarely has the city seen the government get so involved in galvanising voters ahead of the Legislative Council election. These things have traditionally been the work of political parties and groups. And that is one prominent feature of the development of Hong Kong’s “patriots-only” political system. Before the overhaul of the election system, voter turnout was a barometer of sorts for the election outcome. Conventional wisdom was that the...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong sees lacklustre weekend property sales at Tuen Mun development

There was lacklustre action on Saturday at the sale of the latest batch of flats at The Reserve at Gold Coast Bay in Tuen Mun, as less than a 10th of the units on offer were snapped up three hours after the launch. Only 14 flats, of the 152 units on offer, were sold as of 6.30pm, according to agents. “It’s almost the last of the remaining stock,” said Sammy Po Siu-ming, senior director at Midland Realty. “The sale will continue.” The batch offered this weekend by developer Early Light...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong’s top developers vie for rare Tsuen Wan site in test of land market

Nine groups, including some of Hong Kong’s largest developers – Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), CK Asset Holdings, Henderson Land and Chinachem Group – have submitted offers for a 70,127 sq ft parcel in Tsuen Wan in the New Territories. The Lands Department received the bids by noon on Friday, the deadline for the tender that began on September 26, according to a spokeswoman, who did not provide further details. The developers confirmed their participation in the tender to the Post. The site at...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong ramps up Legco election drive with outdoor gala, developer support

Hong Kong is ramping up momentum for the coming Legislative Council election, with the government set to host a gala show ahead of polling day and a major developer pledging to promote voting across its residential estates and shopping centres. The government-run election forums also entered their third day for the Kowloon East and Kowloon West constituencies on Thursday, with a senior official arguing there should not be a “single approach” to enhancing voter engagement and awareness of...

Politics