6 h. ago National security offenders to be disqualified from Hong Kong’s Legco elections

Hong Kong authorities have proposed disqualifying anyone convicted of offences endangering national security from being nominated to run in a Legislative Council election or serving as a lawmaker. The Electoral Affairs Commission said a public consultation for the proposed guidelines, which include several changes related to national security, was launched on Thursday and would wrap up on August 1. The proposals were shared months before the next Legco election on December 7, the second to be...

Politics

6 h. ago Hong Kong pet shop owner arrested for alleged theft of 35 cats to repay loan

A Hong Kong pet shop owner has been arrested for the alleged theft of 35 of his customers’ cats which he used to repay debts to a loan company, with the felines estimated to be valued at more than HK$623,000 (US$79,870), the Post has learned. The owner, surnamed Chan, 44, had a shop in Hung Hom, which also offered consignment and pet-sitting services, a source said on Thursday. The source said Chan took out a loan of HK$210,000 from a company in August last year. The firm demanded repayment on...

Economics

10 h. ago Hong Kong plans to update prison rules to better guard national security

Hong Kong’s security and prison agencies plan to update the current prison rules to tighten visiting criteria for specific lawyers, doctors and chaplains to ensure they safeguard national security, prevent crime and maintain order and discipline of those behind bars. In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Thursday, the Security Bureau and the Correctional Services Department laid out five “key purposes” that would form the grounds for prison staff to impose additional restrictions,...

Events

10 h. ago 150 live goats found, Hong Kong resident arrested in illegal slaughterhouse bust

A 51-year-old Hong Kong resident has been arrested for operating an illegal slaughterhouse in Yuen Long, where 150 live goats were discovered on a site with “extremely poor hygiene”. Authorities said the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, in a joint operation with police on Thursday, raided a secluded, enclosed plot of land spanning Ngan Kam Road in the New Territories, following a tip-off that someone was selling mutton online and was suspected of illegally slaughtering goats for...

Events

11 h. ago Hong Kong water taxis, harbour cruise firm cash in on aircraft carrier’s visit

Some water transport operators are cashing in on the high-profile visit of the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and its strike fleet to Hong Kong by ferrying visitors for a better look, although marine police have stopped their vessels from getting close. Hong Kong Water Taxi, owned by the Oriental Pearl Cruise Company, organised special sightseeing tours for visitors to get a closer look on Thursday afternoon, and demand was so strong that it was adding more trips on Friday. Another firm,...

Economics

12 h. ago Hong Kong police arrest teenager who was alleged driver in fatal hit

Hong Kong police have apprehended a 19-year-old man in connection with a suspected hit-and-run accident that killed a 71-year-old man on a bicycle on Tuesday, the Post has learned. The arrest came a day after a couple, including a woman believed to be the suspect’s grandmother, were taken into custody. A source familiar with the matter said the suspect, who was allegedly the driver of the car involved in the incident, was arrested before 10am on Thursday at his home in Mai Po Village in Yuen...

Events

12 h. ago ‘Marvellous achievement’: Hongkongers flock to see Chinese warship Shandong

Hundreds of residents and tourists lined Hong Kong's waterfronts on Thursday morning to catch a glimpse of the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and its accompanying strike group entering local waters. Crowds packed the esplanade at the South Horizons private residential estate in Hong Kong Island’s Southern district, with many setting up cameras to get pictures of the passing warships. The Shandong was spotted near Lamma Island at 7.17am and is the first Chinese carrier to call at Hong Kong...

Events

13 h. ago Hong Kong court quashes government decision to refuse permits to 2 Uber drivers

A Hong Kong court has quashed a government decision to refuse hire car permits to two prospective Uber drivers seven years ago, rejecting authorities’ contentions that the move could open the floodgates for ride-hailing services and private vehicles to operate as “pseudo-taxis”. In a written judgment handed down on Thursday, the High Court found the Commissioner for Transport’s dismissal of two litigants’ requests for a permit in 2018 to be based on an “impracticable, illogical and unworkable”...

Politics

13 h. ago Economist Huang Yiping floats Hong Kong as stablecoin staging ground

Issuing a stablecoin pegged to the offshore yuan in Hong Kong may be more feasible than in mainland China due to the latter’s capital controls, a central bank adviser has said. The comments from Huang Yiping, also dean of Peking University’s National School of Development, came as worries arise in Beijing’s policy circles that Washington could gain an upper hand through the cryptocurrency offshoot as a means of consolidating US dollar dominance. “As China’s capital account is not fully...

Politics

14 h. ago Hong Kong crowds welcome aircraft carrier Shandong as city leader hails visit

China’s first independently designed aircraft carrier, the Shandong, sailed into Hong Kong waters on Thursday morning, with thousands of people flocking to the coast and hilltops and even renting water taxis to welcome the vessel and three other warships to the city. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu inspected a guard of honour on the deck of the 70,000-tonne carrier, accompanied by two senior naval officers, and was given a tour of the ship in the late afternoon. He attended a welcoming ceremony...

Politics

15 h. ago China aircraft carrier 'Shandong' draws crowds in first Hong Kong visit

China aircraft carrier 'Shandong' draws crowds in first Hong Kong visit  Reuters

Transport

15 h. ago Hong Kong lawmakers may face suspension, pay cut under proposed misconduct rules

Hong Kong’s legislature is expected to investigate evidence-based, real-name complaints about lawmakers’ conduct through a committee with an expanded scope, as part of a proposal to revamp current guidelines and regulations. Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, president of the Legislative Council, said on Thursday that those found in violation could face the maximum penalty of suspension from office and salary deductions, but stopped short of naming specific standards to categorise “minor, serious and...

Economics

15 h. ago From land to sea: top spots to get a glimpse of the Shandong in Hong Kong

Crowds of fans and onlookers gave an emotional welcome to the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and its accompanying strike group when they sailed into Hong Kong waters on Thursday for a five-day port call. Many are seeking alternatives or the best vantage points to view the fleet, as the Shandong is anchored to the west of Victoria Harbour. The other three vessels – the missile destroyers Yan’an and Zhanjiang, and the missile frigate Yuncheng hull number 571 – are moored at the PLA pier on...

Politics

17 h. ago Hong Kong may issue T1 warning on Friday as potential cyclone develops

Hong Kong Observatory will consider issuing a T1 typhoon warning signal on Friday and Saturday, urging the public to stay away from the shoreline and refrain from water sports. The forecaster on Thursday said the area of low pressure to the north of Luzon would develop into a tropical cyclone in the coming few days and come within 800km (497 miles) of Hong Kong. It said the cyclone would remain near the northeastern part of the South China Sea and intensify. “Depending on its development and...

Events

17 h. ago Hong Kong could issue T1 warning on Friday, as potential cyclone develops

Hong Kong Observatory will consider issuing a No 1 typhoon warning on Friday and Saturday, with the forecaster urging the public to stay away from the shoreline and refrain from doing water sports. An area of low pressure to the north of Luzon would develop into a tropical cyclone in the coming few days and come within 800km (497 miles) of Hong Kong, the Observatory said on Thursday. It added that the cyclone would remain near the northeastern part of the South China Sea and...

Events

18 h. ago TVB cameraman found dead on balcony of Hong Kong flat in aftermath of blaze

A 41-year-old man was found dead on the balcony of a Hong Kong building in the aftermath of a fire in Sham Shui Po, police have revealed. The Post learned that the deceased was a camera crew member of free-to-air broadcaster TVB’s news department, and has reached out to TVB for comment. A force spokesman said police received reports of a fire at 4.08am on Thursday on the 28th floor of a residential building on Yee Kuk Street in Sham Shui Po. The spokesman said one of the people who called police...

Events

19 h. ago Hong Kong tourists undeterred by prediction that quake will hit Japan on July 5

Hong Kong travel agencies have not recorded widespread cancellations of Japan-bound tour groups for the coming weekend, despite a manga artist’s widely discussed prediction that a mega-earthquake will hit the country on Saturday. But some business insiders suggested the number of tours this summer was expected to fall by half compared with last year. The Japan National Tourism Organisation reported that only 193,100 visitors from Hong Kong were recorded coming to the country in May, down by 11.2...

Events

19 h. ago PwC’s China Woes Hit Hong Kong Legal Affiliate, Partners Depart, Firm to Rebrand

PwC’s China Woes Hit Hong Kong Legal Affiliate, Partners Depart, Firm to Rebrand  Law.com

Economics

20 h. ago Hong Kong stocks drop as US trade deals signal hurdles for China’s exports

Hong Kong stocks drop as US trade deals signal hurdles for China’s exports  South China Morning Post

Politics

23 h. ago Emperor’s financial struggle mirrors current state of Hong Kong real estate

Hong Kong developer Emperor International Holdings’ struggles reflect the highs and lows the city’s property sector has endured over the past few years. Just over five years ago, residential and commercial real estate prices and rents were hitting record highs. Developers reported robust earnings and had access to cheap financing, boosting their confidence – and that of investors – to spend more on new projects or acquire existing income-generating properties. But this golden era ended abruptly....

Politics