30 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen gradually moves away after skirting Hong Kong

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen has skirted Hong Kong and will gradually move away from the city on Tuesday, according to the weather forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory also said that the No 3 typhoon signal currently in effect would remain in force at least until 6pm, with the chance of issuing a higher signal being “relatively low” unless Fengshen, which...

Events

30 h. ago Fengshen: hot weather back by weekend as Hong Kong lowers all typhoon signals

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Daytime temperatures are expected to rise later this week, the Hong Kong Observatory has said, as it cancelled all typhoon signals. The weather forecaster lowered the No 3 signal at 6.20pm on Tuesday as Tropical Cyclone Fengshen, which means “the god of wind” in Chinese, departed. The strong monsoon signal was in force. The Observatory warned that local winds...

Politics

51 h. ago Fengshen: Hong Kong T3 signal in force until Tuesday as some classes suspended

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Classes at kindergartens and some special schools in Hong Kong will be suspended on Tuesday, with the No 3 typhoon signal remaining in force until at least 6pm. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Monday that while Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen, a Chinese name meaning “the god of wind”, was edging closer to the Guangdong coast, the need for a higher typhoon...

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong faces ‘relatively severe’ summer flu outbreak, health authorities warn

Hong Kong could face a “relatively severe” summer influenza outbreak this year, health authorities have warned, as the percentage of positive cases has already exceeded the peak of the previous season and flu activity continues to rise. The Centre for Health Protection said on Thursday evening that at least 451 outbreaks had been reported in schools so far since the start of the school year in September. Among them, 43 cases occurred in kindergartens or childcare centres, 244 were recorded in...

Events

5 d. ago Hong Kong faces ‘relatively severe’ flu outbreak, health authorities warn

Hong Kong could face a “relatively severe” summer influenza outbreak that already started late this year, health authorities have warned, as the percentage of positive cases has already exceeded the peak of the previous season and flu activity continues to rise. The Centre for Health Protection said on Thursday evening that at least 451 outbreaks had been reported in schools so far since the start of the academic year in September. Among them, 43 cases occurred in kindergartens or childcare...

Events

6 d. ago Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: teen fights congenital disease with grace and humour

Sixteen-year-old Cassie Li Pui-ying was rushed into an emergency operation in Hong Kong on Monday morning after days of persistent fever and severe abdominal swelling. Doctors discovered a ruptured section of her colon and extensive inflammation inside her abdomen. The five-hour procedure saved her life, and she now remains in the intensive care unit under close monitoring. Her mother, Marine Mak, remembers the shock that morning. “When the doctor called me to the operating floor, my heart...

Sport

1 week ago Competition heats up for Hong Kong’s Legco poll as more veterans decline to run

Competition is expected across all three types of constituencies in Hong Kong’s coming Legislative Council election as several veterans will not seek another term and new blood is being “encouraged” to run in only the second poll held since Beijing’s “patriots-only” electoral revamp, the Post has learned. While age has been cited as a reason in some lawmakers’ decision to step away, it is not a factor for others as Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, 75, will seek another term, sources told the Post. In the...

Politics

1 week ago University in Hong Kong rejects hundreds of applicants over fake credentials

A top university in Hong Kong has said it rejected “several hundred” admission applications over suspicions they used fraudulent qualifications and stepped up its vetting process with the help of technology such as artificial intelligence. The cases included applicants submitting academic qualifications of secondary schools they did not attend or listing names of institutions that did not exist. Andy Wong Ka-chat, director of admissions and financial aid at the Chinese University of Hong Kong...

Politics

2 w. ago Japan’s flu season hits 5 weeks early amid fears of an evolving virus

An unprecedented early surge in influenza cases has compelled Japan’s health authorities to declare a nationwide epidemic, as medical experts warn the virus may be evolving faster and spreading more easily than ever before. The outbreak, which has caused hospital wards to fill up and schools across the country to close their doors, arrived five weeks ahead of schedule compared with last year. Such an early and rapid spread suggests the influenza virus is adapting at an unprecedented pace. But...

Events

2 w. ago Nationwide epidemic declared in Japan as flu season hits early

An unprecedented early surge in influenza cases has compelled Japan’s health authorities to declare a nationwide epidemic, as medical experts warn the virus may be evolving faster and spreading more easily than ever before. The outbreak, which has caused hospital wards to fill up and schools across the country to close their doors, arrived five weeks ahead of schedule compared with last year. Such an early and rapid spread suggests the influenza virus is adapting at an unprecedented pace. But...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong issues T3 as Severe Tropical Storm Matmo edges closer

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has issued the No 3 typhoon warning signal as Severe Tropical Storm Matmo moves closer to the city. The Hong Kong Observatory raised the signal at 12.20pm and said it was expected to keep it in force at least until 10pm. Education authorities also announced that kindergartens and schools for children with physical and...

Events

2 w. ago Alzheimer’s gene variant in Chinese linked to rapid decline: Hong Kong study

Hong Kong researchers have found that a gene variant more prevalent among ethnic Chinese people can lead to faster deterioration of Alzheimer’s disease cases, with some carriers progressing to the severe stages in just three to five years. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) said on Thursday the finding could pave the way for developing targeted treatment. It also took the opportunity to stress the urgent need for a database cataloguing the genes of ethnic Chinese people...

Politics

3 w. ago Beijing warns new US consul general in Hong Kong not to cross ‘red lines’

Beijing has warned the new US consul general in Hong Kong of potential “severe countermeasures” for crossing “red lines”, with its top office overseeing the city’s affairs reposting a commentary condemning the American envoy for inviting opposition figures to her inaugural reception. The commentary, published by the pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao on Saturday and reposted by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), accused Julie Eadeh of being “back in the old game” of disrupting the...

Events

3 w. ago Hong Kong minister rejects call for law on work suspension during severe weather

Hong Kong’s labour minister has ruled out legislating the arrangements for suspending work during times of adverse weather, saying the move would hinder the functioning of society and the early resumption of normalcy. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han rejected the call on Thursday as some lawmakers urged authorities to better protect workers during inclement weather, after Super Typhoon Ragasa wreaked havoc across the city. Sun said different industries and jobs were...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong airport braces for Ragasa backlog of 140,000 affected passengers

Eager travellers, undeterred by the Airport Authority’s announcement that outbound flights would not resume until 6am on Thursday, have headed to Hong Kong International Airport as Severe Typhoon Ragasa moved away from the city. With all flights suspended until midnight, the authority expected the airport would be very busy and anticipated handling about 1,000 flights. It would take about two days to clear the backlog of flights, as 140,000 passengers were affected on Tuesday and Wednesday, the...

Society

3 w. ago Hong Kong buildings swaying in Super Typhoon Ragasa ‘nothing to worry about’

As Super Typhoon Ragasa battered Hong Kong with hurricane-strength winds on Wednesday morning, some worried residents felt their high-rise buildings sway, but experts and authorities have assured the public that such movements are normal. Ragasa, which triggered the highest-level No 10 warning signal, came within about 100km to the south of Hong Kong in the morning before the storm was downgraded to a severe typhoon in the afternoon. “Most of the buildings in Hong Kong have been built with wind...

Politics

last month Hongkongers rush to stock up on essentials as Super Typhoon Ragasa approaches

Hong Kong residents flocked to wet markets and supermarkets, eager to stock up on food and supplies ahead of the rapidly approaching Super Typhoon Ragasa, with one shopper comparing the rush to that seen during Lunar New Year. From baked goods and fresh vegetables to poultry and meat, many shoppers were storing food to meet their needs for the whole week after the Hong Kong Observatory warned the storm would severely affect the city in next two days. At one bakery, located in the basement food...

Politics