3 h. ago Should Hong Kong hit luxury homeowners with heavier fines for illegal works?

Hong Kong authorities should appeal against the “light” penalties imposed on two property owners for erecting illegal structures at their luxury Redhill Peninsula homes, experts have said, warning that the fines are not hefty enough to deter offenders. The specialists weighed in after the two property owners were told to pay more than HK$110,000 (US$14,015) in total after admitting to carrying out unauthorised building works. Their convictions are the first among 30 prosecutions made against...

Events

5 h. ago Hong Kong’s 1980s nightlife culture dazzles again at old Club Bboss site

More than a decade after Club Bboss was closed, a new nightspot has launched on the same site where the once-glamorous establishment operated for 28 years, with the goal of attracting tourists and young revellers eager for a glimpse of Hong Kong’s 1980s clubbing heyday. The new spot – known as Big Boss Generation (BBG) – opened for business on Saturday in the old club’s 56,000 sq ft site at the New Mandarin Plaza in Tsim Sha Tsui East. It will use the former occupant’s old Chinese name, which...

Economics

6 h. ago In human rights talks, EU warns of ‘deterioration’ of basic freedoms in China

During thorny human rights talks with China on Friday, the European Union voiced concerns about what it called a “deterioration of fundamental freedoms” in the country. The EU cited “government interference” in the succession plan for the Dalai Lama, an ongoing crackdown in Hong Kong, and jailed Uygur and Tibetan activists as examples in its statement on the 40th edition of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels. The bloc accused China of “persistent restrictions on freedom of...

Events

7 h. ago Activist investor David Webb awarded MBE for contributions to Hong Kong

Hong Kong corporate governance activist David Webb has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his nearly three decades of contributions to the city, with the Briton saying he felt touched by the many tributes during his “final battle”. The former investment banker posted on his Webb-site platform on Saturday that he was delighted the United Kingdom government, “with its keen interest in Hong Kong affairs”, had recognised his efforts in the city over the past 27 years by...

Economics

7 h. ago Hong Kong to explore need for new law covering building repairs by landlords

Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority will examine whether legislation should be introduced requiring landlords to create periodic maintenance plans for their blocks and ensure sufficient funds for the work. The study would also cover the possibility of creating a new statutory body to supervise building restoration and maintenance, according to the authority’s retiring head, Wai Chi-sing. Wai stressed the importance of “preventive maintenance” by homeowners while also pledging the authority would...

Society

8 h. ago Hong Kong pop diva Karen Mok picks up HK$85 million luxury flat in Mid

Hong Kong pop diva and actress Karen Mok Man-wai bought a luxury unit in the Mid-Levels district for HK$85 million (US$10.8 million), as the city’s celebrities, tycoons and other wealthy investors continue to pick up plum properties that are selling for a song. According to the Land Registry, a 2,153 sq ft three-bedroom flat at Dynasty Court on Old Peak Road was sold for HK$84.5 million and handed over on June 12 to buyer Karen Joy Morris. Dynasty Court is a luxury housing estate completed in...

Economics

8 h. ago Hong Kong restaurants may start testing alternatives to plastics in next 2 months

Hong Kong restaurants may start testing alternatives to certain single-use plastics for items such as food containers in the next two months, the environment minister has said, as the government gauges the business sector’s feedback before expanding the scope of a ban. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Saturday gave the update on the second phase of the government’s plan to rid the city of disposable plastic items, after the first stage was introduced in April last year. “We...

Politics

8 h. ago Hong Kong girl, 15, arrested over ‘space oil’ after dad alerts police

Hong Kong police have arrested a 15-year-old after her father reported she was smoking an e-cigarette containing “space oil” at home with her classmate, who is wanted by the force, the Post has learned. A source said on Saturday that the classmate, who was also 15, brought an e-cigarette, which she claimed contained the anaesthetic etomidate, to the girl’s home at Kwong Fuk Estate in Tai Po on Friday night and persuaded her they smoke it together. When the mother spotted them, the classmate...

Events

10 h. ago Hong Kong homebuyers snap up Deep Water Pavilia flats amid discounts

The first batch of flats on offer at the Deep Water Pavilia project on the south side of Hong Kong island are expected to sell out, according to property agents, as homebuyers rushed to snap up available units this weekend on the back of discounted pricing and low interest rates. As of 1pm on Saturday, 75 of the 138 flats on offer at the New World Development (NWD)-led luxury residential project in Wong Chuk Hang were snapped up, about four hours after sales started, property agents said. All...

Politics

10 h. ago Hong Kong homebuyers snap up all Deep Water Pavilia flats on offer this weekend

The first batch of flats on offer at the Deep Water Pavilia project on the south side of Hong Kong island sold out on Saturday, according to property agents, as homebuyers rushed to snap up available units on the back of discounted pricing and low interest rates. As of 4 pm, all 138 flats on offer at the New World Development (NWD)-led luxury residential project in Wong Chuk Hang were sold for a grand total of HK$1.53 billion (US$196 million), just seven hours after sales started, property...

Politics

10 h. ago Why are mainland Chinese tourists posing in front of MTR stations in Hong Kong?

Surrounded by a stream of passengers on an MTR platform in Hong Kong on a regular weekday, a couple paused to pose for photos next to a station sign to mark their journey. “We took photos at most of the metro stations we visited, just to record our metro route,” said Arale, a 36-year-old tourist who was visiting the city with his wife, Qing, 37, for the first time. Recording such a visual diary is part of a popular trend on Chinese social media in which people travel around Hong Kong to take...

Politics

11 h. ago Hong Kong Instagram influencer pleads for release of father arrested in Cambodia

A Hong Kong-based Instagram influencer has written an open letter to Cambodia’s prime minister, calling for the immediate release of her father, who needs urgent medical care. Stephanie Cheng, also known as Laparasian on Instagram, posted a copy of the letter in English, French and Chinese on her social media early Saturday morning. In a separate post the previous day, the influencer said that her father, Cheng Chi-gian, a French citizen, had been “kidnapped in Phnom Penh just before exposing a...

Events

11 h. ago Hong Kong’s mediation centre open to developed nations, Western countries

Western and developed countries are welcome to use services offered by Hong Kong’s newly established global mediation centre, a senior official has said, dismissing concerns over the institute’s founding members being primarily developing nations. Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan on Saturday also addressed the possible direct competition with other dispute resolution hubs, including Singapore, outlining Hong Kong’s distinct advantages such as its “one country, two systems”...

Politics

13 h. ago ‘Probe under way on whether Beijing will take over collusion case in Hong Kong’

Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong conducted its first publicly known joint operation with the city’s police to determine whether a suspected collusion case is complex to the extent that it requires mainland China to take over, the security minister has revealed. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Saturday that no arrests had been made so far, adding it would require the central government’s approval if the case were to be handed over. His remarks were made after the...

Politics

13 h. ago Authorities still studying if Hong Kong collusion case needs to be handled by Beijing

Beijing and Hong Kong are investigating the complexity of a suspected collusion case to determine whether mainland China needs to take over, security minister has said, in what may become a precedent for the central government to exercise its jurisdiction over such matters. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Saturday that authorities were gathering information to ascertain if Article 55 of the national security law, which applies to complicated and severe cases, should be...

Events

15 h. ago Hong Kong plans new AI supercomputing centre to boost tech hub status

The Hong Kong government is set to enhance its computing power support for start-ups as part of its ambition to become a leading technology hub, according to the city’s innovation chief, as local start-ups seek global clients at one of Europe’s largest technology shows. Hong Kong planned to establish a new supercomputing centre at Sandy Ridge in the Northern Metropolis – part of a government blueprint that aims to transform a large swathe of land in the New Territories into an economic hub,...

Politics

16 h. ago How US$11 can get you a day trip for 2 plus lunch in pricey Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, one of the world’s most expensive cities, 79 yuan (US$11) will get you a set lunch for one. But, to the surprise of many, it will buy a day tour for two people, with lunch and a visit to several attractions thrown in. With such budget tours becoming increasingly popular among mainland Chinese visitors, especially those from the nearby cities of Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Guangzhou, the Post joined one on a weekday to see how they operated. At 8.30am, a coach packed with about 60...

Economics

16 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong to issue T3 signal between 12pm and 2pm

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 3 typhoon warning signal between 12pm and 2pm on Saturday, as strong winds from a severe tropical storm are expected to intensify later. Severe Tropical Storm Wutip, the Cantonese word for “butterfly”, has entered within 800km (497 miles) of...

Events

16 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong to issue T3 signal at 12.20pm

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 3 typhoon warning signal at 12.20pm on Saturday, as strong winds from a severe tropical storm are expected to intensify later. Severe Tropical Storm Wutip, the Cantonese word for “butterfly”, has entered within 800km (497 miles) of Hong Kong,...

Events

16 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Wutip: Hong Kong issues T3 signal as winds intensify

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has issued the No 3 typhoon warning signal, as strong winds from a severe tropical storm are intensifying. The Hong Kong Observatory raised the alert at 12.20pm on Saturday as Severe Tropical Storm Wutip entered within 800km (497 miles) of the city. It is...

Events