3 h. ago Hong Kong students eyeing US universities advised to check social media accounts

Hong Kong students hoping to attend universities in the US should review their social media for content related to the country’s politics, an education consultant has advised, as uncertainties swirled amid reported flip-flopping over whether consulates could process visa applications for Harvard. Consultants on Sunday told the Post they were still trying to get confirmation on what American authorities required and were unclear about whether they would be able to book visa interviews for their...

Politics

4 h. ago Critically injured Hong Kong officer ‘did what he needed to do’: police chief

An officer critically injured after falling 10 metres from a flyover near Tuen Mun when trying to avoid an oncoming bus “did what he needed to do”, Hong Kong’s police chief said on Sunday. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming said that the constable, 31, had regained consciousness but remained in the intensive care ward of Tuen Mun Hospital and was still in a critical condition. Chow declined to further discuss the progress or the direction of the investigation. The accident took place on...

Events

4 h. ago ‘Vicious circle’ for Hong Kong restaurants: how many more on chopping block?

Hong Kong’s restaurant industry faces a bleak second half of the year as both low-cost and high-end operators succumb to the economic slowdown, sector leaders have warned, putting part of the blame on the trend of residents heading across the border to spend. Industry representatives gave their grim assessment on Sunday, just days after King Parrot Group announced it would close nine of its eateries, ending a 33-year run. The move has reportedly left over 100 staff out of pocket to the tune of...

Politics

7 h. ago Golden Harvest’s MegaBox draws crowds as yet another cinema closes in Hong Kong

Hong Kong film-goers snapped up discounted tickets for the final day of operation of Golden Harvest’s MegaBox cinema on Sunday, with some disheartened fans finding comfort in the news that another theatre chain will take over the space soon. In the afternoon, the seven-screen cinema was bustling with long-time regulars and others who were simply nearby residents, eager to snap up HK$40 (US$5) tickets for most screenings. The operator announced last week it was closing, becoming the latest in a...

Politics

7 h. ago Golden Harvest MegaBox draws crowds as yet another cinema closes in Hong Kong

Hong Kong film-goers snapped up discounted tickets for the final day of operation of Golden Harvest’s MegaBox cinema on Sunday, with some disheartened fans finding comfort in the news that another theatre chain will take over the space soon. In the afternoon, the seven-screen cinema was bustling with long-time regulars and others who were simply nearby residents, eager to snap up HK$40 (US$5) tickets for most screenings. The operator announced last week it was closing, becoming the latest in a...

Politics

7 h. ago Better harbourfront access among Hong Kong urban renewal body’s plans for site

Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority (URA) plans to improve pedestrian connectivity and public access to the harbourfront at one of two sites the cash-strapped body has been granted by the government to boost its finances. Authority managing director Wai Chi-sing revealed more details about the plot in To Kwa Wan in his blog on Sunday, two days after the self-financing statutory body was granted the site and another in Tseung Kwan O at a nominal land premium of HK$1,000 (US$127) for 50...

Politics

8 h. ago Hong Kong’s Paul Chan expects tourism sector to make robust recovery in 2025

Hong Kong’s finance chief expects the tourism sector to make a robust recovery this year, citing the 10 and 18 per cent year-on-year growth in the number of mainland Chinese and international visitor arrivals recorded in the first five months. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said he was confident the figures would continue to go up, partly thanks to a series of mega-events set to be held throughout the year. In his weekly blog on Sunday, he noted that the city recorded about 20 million...

Politics

9 h. ago Hong Kong’s retail sector is struggling but people will have to adapt: John Lee

Hong Kong’s leader has conceded that the city has a problem with its sluggish retail scene amid a trend of locals spending their holidays across the border, but warned against using it as the sole yardstick in assessing the economy. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also called on businesses to “work harder” in light of the market changes and to reform to retain if not grow their slice of the cake. Hong Kong’s retail sales dropped for a 14th consecutive month in April, falling by 2.3 per cent,...

Politics

10 h. ago Basketball betting: Hong Kong plans fifth counselling centre for gamblers

Hong Kong authorities are planning to set up a fifth counselling centre for gamblers, the home affairs chief has said, with the government proposing to legalise basketball betting and impose a 50 per cent duty on the operator’s net profits. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Sunday that the government would require the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which is set to become the sole licensed basketball betting operator, to contribute to society through donations and policy...

Politics

11 h. ago Chinese legends, Disney characters compete in Hong Kong dragon boat race

Competitors marked the final day of Hong Kong’s International Dragon Boat Races on Sunday by donning an array of colourful costumes that included beloved characters from animated films and Chinese folklore. Hongkongers, expats and a team of visiting Canadian paddlers were among those taking part in the fancy dress competition held on the event’s second day. The races were organised by the city’s Tourism Board and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association. Toronto’s Water Vipers dragon boat...

Politics

11 h. ago Chinese legends, Disney characters compete in Hong Kong dragon boat races

Competitors marked the final day of Hong Kong’s International Dragon Boat Races on Sunday by donning an array of colourful costumes that included beloved characters from animated films and Chinese folklore. Hongkongers, expats and a team of visiting Canadian paddlers were among those taking part in the fancy dress competition held on the event’s second day. The races were organised by the city’s Tourism Board and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association. Toronto’s Water Vipers dragon boat...

Politics

12 h. ago A star is born as Hong Kong pianist wins Van Cliburn competition

Hong Kong pianist Aristo Sham Ching-tao has won the 2025 edition of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, putting him on track for global stardom. Sham, 29, is the first pianist from Hong Kong to win the competition, held in Fort Worth in the US state of Texas. The announcement on June 7 of his victory followed two-and-a-half weeks of intense anticipation as music lovers around the world followed live streams of the contest’s four gruelling rounds, which began on May 21...

Events

14 h. ago Pay dads to parent? How China could fix birth rate crisis, according to new research

Subsidising men’s participation in household chores and childcare could help reverse declining global birth rates, according to a new study, offering a fresh approach to deepening demographic challenges in countries like China. The study, co-authored by researchers from Fudan University and the University of Hong Kong (HKU), argued that subsidies for fathers produce significantly higher long-term fertility gains than solely subsidising mothers. The findings came as the world’s second-largest...

Events

14 h. ago EU biodiesel tariffs offer Hong Kong a chance to boost adoption of green fuel

The European Union’s (EU) tariffs on biodiesel and renewable diesel from China present Hong Kong with an opportunity to promote the use of low-carbon fuels, according to a business group, which called for more measures to support its adoption. A dearth of financial incentives and infrastructure has also resulted in limited use by the public and private sector to meet climate goals, according to the Business Environment Council (BEC). “The EU’s anti-dumping tariffs have forced Chinese producers...

Events

15 h. ago Hong Kong minibus operators hail arrival of over 800 drivers from mainland China

Hong Kong has brought in more than 800 minibus drivers from mainland China as part of a temporary solution to the city’s labour shortage, with operators hopeful the scheme will be extended to help plug gaps in the ageing workforce. Minibus companies made the appeal after authorities reiterated that importing labour was only a “short-term” fix and that the workers were not meant to stay in the city in the long run. The government launched the labour import scheme in 2023 for three sectors that...

Transport

16 h. ago The future of retirement for wealthy Hongkongers could be this Zhuhai community

A Macau conglomerate is targeting Hong Kong’s affluent retirees with a new luxury senior housing project in the Greater Bay Area, capitalising on a shortage of high-end retirement options for the city’s affluent retirees. “There is a lack of high-quality lifestyle retirement [options] in Hong Kong,” said Amber Li, founder of Serensia Woods, a 13,500-square-metre (145,313 sq ft) retirement community in Zhuhai’s Hengqin district. The community, on an island largely in the Guangdong city...

Politics

16 h. ago The kids are alright: Hong Kong AI scientist offers a vision for ‘parenting’ AI

For years, the story of artificial intelligence (AI) has been cast as a high-stakes contest between the US and China – a technological arms race with global consequences. But to De Kai, a pioneering machine learning scientist and advocate for AI ethics, this framing fundamentally misunderstands the technology. “I would prefer to think about it as the AI climate change challenge,” De Kai said in an interview with the Post at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he is a...

Politics

17 h. ago ‘Don’t kill your successful DNA’: Hong Kong’s John Lee on tariffs, trade war

Hong Kong will not destroy its “successful DNA” and jeopardise its free-port status by retaliating with counter-tariffs on the US even if geopolitical tensions with China escalate further, the city’s leader has promised. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said his administration had made “contingency plans for the worst” and would increase support for local businesses in finding “blue oceans” in new markets. In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with the Post to mark the third anniversary of his...

Events

20 h. ago Get elderly housing right and Hong Kong’s silver economy can take off

Hong Kong’s Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing has announced dozens of measures to promote the “silver economy” and address the needs of the city’s ageing population. These cover five main areas: boosting consumption, developing tailor-made products, promoting quality assurance of “silver” products, strengthening financial and insurance protection, and encouraging older residents to re-enter the job market. These are all good intentions, but it also begs the question: where is the...

Politics

26 h. ago Hong Kong staff of King Parrot Group to seek help from authorities after closures

Staff affected by the sudden closure of nine eateries operated by King Parrot Group, a 33-year-old restaurant chain in Hong Kong, will go to the Labour Department on Monday to file claims for unpaid wages and other entitlements amounting to more than HK$1 million (US$127,440), a union has said. Labour sector lawmaker Aron Kwok Wai-keung said on Sunday that business owners facing hardship should plan ahead if they were at risk of closure to ensure employees received their wages, while also...

Politics