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A Hong Kong labour group has called workers to use step platforms after a worker died following a fall from a wooden ladder. The 58-year-old male worker fell from a wooden ladder while installing an air-conditioner at a house on Jardine’s Lookout, the Labour Department said on Monday night. He was sent to hospital and […]

China said Tuesday it hoped to cooperate with the United States to resolve trade issues, as President Donald Trump began his second term after threatening to impose biting tariffs on the Asian giant. Beijing is “willing to strengthen dialogue and communication with the United States, properly manage differences and expand mutually beneficial cooperation,” foreign ministry […]

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has said Donald Trump’s new administration marks a “good start” for US-China relations, but he warned against attempts at political “interference.” Speaking to reporters on Tuesday shortly after Trump was sworn in, Lee said that the Hong Kong government would continue to “promote ties and exchanges” with the US […]

By Raziye Akkoc With Donald Trump back as US president with his confrontational style, Chinese, European and Ukrainian leaders are expected to defend global cooperation on Tuesday at the annual gathering of the world’s elites in Davos. There will no doubt be a Trump-sized elephant in the rooms at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in […]

Another Hongkonger has been rescued from a scam farm, leaving a total of 10 Hong Kong residents still detained in Myanmar, the city’s leader John Lee confirmed. “We’ve seen one more victim had been rescued from Myanmar recently, and we hope to further strengthen our work [in rescuing the victims], ” Lee said in Cantonese […]

Jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has denied he acted as a “middleman” to help Taiwan re-establish diplomatic ties with the US. During his national security trial on Monday, Lai – the founder of Hong Kong’s defunct Apple Daily newspaper – did not reject the prosecution’s assertion that he helped arrange a meeting between Hong […]

Hong Kong’s top judge has defended the city’s rule of law, saying its courts are not “an extension of prosecution authority.” It comes after high-profile national security cases have drawn international criticism over the judiciary’s independence. Chief Justice Andrew Cheung on Monday also addressed the departure of foreign judges from the city’s top court, saying […]

China on Monday executed a man who killed 35 people in a car rampage in the southern city of Zhuhai in November, in the country’s deadliest mass attack in years. On November 11, Fan Weiqiu, 62, deliberately drove a small SUV through crowds of people exercising outside a sports complex, also injuring 45 in China’s […]

By Alex Pigman TikTok restored service in the United States Sunday after briefly going dark, as a law banning the wildly popular app on national security grounds came into effect. The video-sharing platform credited President-elect Donald Trump, who retakes power on Monday, for making the reversal possible — though the outgoing administration of President Joe […]

A Hong Kong district councillor has been scheduled to appear in court on Monday following his arrest over his failure to attend a summons hearing in early January. Sai Kung District Councillor Sky Li is accused of not submitting his tax return on time. Li, who was apprehended earlier this month and was granted bail, […]

Nearly 100 students from two public universities, the University of Hong Kong and the City University of Hong Kong, have lost HK$75 million after falling victim to scams. In an internal email sent to students last Thursday, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) said “over 60 HKU students have been victims of scams in recent […]

Two Hongkongers were released on bail after they were arrested by customs officers in connection with the seizure of 1.1 kilograms of suspected “space oil” drug at Hong Kong International Airport. A 34-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man were apprehended on Friday over the newly emerging drug upon their arrival in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, […]

TikTok disconnected access to its users in the United States late Saturday shortly before a national ban on the app was to take effect, with President-elect Donald Trump unable to intervene until he takes office. “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US,” said a message to users attempting to use the app. […]

Built in just days as Covid-19 cases spiked in Wuhan in early 2020, the Huoshenshan Hospital was once celebrated as a symbol of the Chinese city’s fight against the virus that first emerged there. The hospital now stands empty, hidden behind more recently built walls — faded like most traces of the pandemic as locals […]

Jennyfer Camarillo spent Christmas Day the same way she has spent most Christmas Days for the past decade – at a prison. But she is not an inmate, nor does she work for Hong Kong’s correctional services. Jennyfer is a domestic worker from the Philippines who gives up her free time – Sundays, plus many […]

By Sam Davies Donald Trump is not typically known for his calm or reserve, but in a craftsman’s workshop in rural China the US president-elect sits in divine contemplation. Cross-legged with his eyes half-closed in a pose evoking the Buddha, this porcelain version of America’s divisive leader-in-waiting is the work of designer and sculptor Hong […]

“I almost, like, don’t know how to define myself without TikTok,” content creator Ayman Chaudhary sighed, reflecting the consternation of millions over US authorities’ scheduled banning Sunday of the hugely popular app. After months of legal tussles, the US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that would ban the video-sharing platform — used by […]

Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone on Friday, days before the incoming US president returns to the White House, with both leaders vowing to take a positive approach to improving ties between the rival countries. Xi said he hoped for a “good start” to relations with Trump, who in turn said […]

A word of advice for policy secretaries: Do not, in your laudable efforts to communicate with the general public over social media, tell us all how tough your job is. This thought was first prompted by an end-of-the-year Facebook contribution from Chris Tang, Hong Kong’s secretary for security, in which he recalled a year full […]

The Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI) made headlines after its office was raided on Monday and its CEO and president, Robert Chung, and two other staff members were taken to a police station to assist in a national security investigation. The developments came weeks after police issued arrest warrants and a HK$1 million […]

Prosecutors have accused jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai of paying two former US officials US$3.25 million (HK$25 million) to brief ex-Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen about Washington’s attitude towards the self-ruled island. Prosecutor Anthony Chau said on Friday that Lai, 77, paid Jack Keane, a retired US army general, and Paul Wolfowitz, ex-US deputy secretary of […]

The “likelihood of success” is not the only factor the government considers when deciding whether to appeal against court rulings, including those relating to LGBTQ issues, the Hong Kong justice chief has said. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said in the Legislative Council on Wednesday that the authorities must take into account “overall public interest,” […]

Seven police officers were among 12 people arrested over alleged money laundering involving around HK$10.5 million, Hong Kong police have said. Four women and eight men were detained following their arrests in Sheung Shui, Fanling, Tuen Mun and Kwai Chung on Thursday on suspicion of money laundering from 2017 and 2024, police said in a […]

China said on Friday its population fell for the third year running in 2024, extending a downward streak after more than six decades of growth as the country faces a rapidly ageing population and persistently low birth rates. Once the world’s most populous country, China was overtaken by India in 2023, with Beijing seeking to […]

An elderly resident of a private housing estate slated for redevelopment has been allowed to collect her belongings from her former home after a Hong Kong court set aside an order to evict her. The ruling would allow Tam Wai-lan to re-enter the premises of Tai Hang Sai Estate to take back her belongings, according […]

By Peter Catterall China recorded one of its slowest rates of economic growth in decades last year, data showed Friday, as leaders nervously eye a potential trade standoff with incoming US president Donald Trump. Beijing has in recent months announced its most aggressive support measures in years in a bid to reignite an economy that […]

Hong Kong authorities have condemned outgoing US President Joe Biden’s order to extend “safe haven” protections for Hongkongers, calling the move a “malicious attack.” In a statement on Thursday night, the government said it “strongly disapproves of and condemns the malicious attack by the United States (US) through signing a memorandum, which… expands the Deferred […]

Enquiries about suspected data fraud increased by more than 40 per cent last year, the city’s privacy watchdog has said. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) said in a statement on Thursday that it received 1,158 enquiries relating to suspected personal data fraud last year, up from 793 the year before. […]

Jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai has told his national security trial that he paid a retired US army general to give advice to former Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen regarding the attitude of Donald Trump’s first administration to the self-ruled island. The court heard on Thursday that Lai, 77, engaged Jack Keane, a former vice chief […]

Another Hongkonger trafficked into Southeast Asia has returned to Hong Kong, Secretary for Security Chris Tang has said, as families of victims met with a dedicated task force that held discussions with Thai authorities this week. The security chief confirmed media reports that one of the detainees returned to the city on a Thursday morning […]

By Amber Wang Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC on Thursday announced a better-than-expected net profit for the fourth quarter as it benefits from booming demand for AI technology. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is the world’s largest contract maker of chips that are used in everything from Apple’s iPhones to Nvidia’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence hardware. The firm […]

The government has put out some details about its plan to eliminate substandard mini-flats. But a question remains. According to a newspaper contribution by the relevant minister, there are believed to be 110,000 subdivided flats – where an already miniature flat is further split up for multiple occupation – in Hong Kong. It is estimated that 220,000 […]

An off-duty Hong Kong policeman attempted to grab a firearm from a colleague inside a police station after he was arrested for allegedly taking upskirting photos, police have confirmed. The scuffle, which occurred inside the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station on Wednesday, injured the suspect – a constable who works for the national security department […]

Hong Kong police will roll out a rapid testing device for detecting a newly emerging drug called “space oil,” ahead of its ban amid authorities’ warnings that the narcotic is harming the city’s youth. Police demonstrated the device at a press conference on Tuesday, local media reported. The device – resembling a Covid test kit […]

President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered a two-year extension of a program allowing Hong Kong residents living in the United States — many of whom fled repressive Chinese rule — to stay beyond the expiry of their visas. The extension, just weeks before the program was due to run out, is likely to add to […]

Hong Kong recorded 44.5 million visitors in 2024, according to provisional government figures, falling short of earlier forecasts and lagging far below the record high of 65 million in 2018. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) on Wednesday announced that the city welcomed 44,502,787 visitor arrivals last year, 31 per cent more than in 2023. […]

Hong Kong police have arrested a beautician for allegedly luring two young women to Southeast Asia, as authorities grapple with attempts to rescue trafficked Hongkongers held captive in the region. Police on Wednesday arrested the 32-year-old woman on suspicion of conspiring to commit deception. She allegedly lured two young women, aged 23 and 21, to […]

In the days leading up to a proposed US government ban on the social media platform TikTok, American users have turned to another Chinese-owned app, Xiaohongshu. The United States passed a law last year forcing the popular video platform’s owner ByteDance to either sell it or shut it down by January 19. With that deadline […]

Hong Kong’s housing minister has rejected the “alarmist and pessimistic sentiment” in a report by the UK’s Guardian, which suggested that city’s proposed subdivided housing regulations had “run into trouble.” The newspaper’s report, titled “Doomed to fail? Hong Kong’s attempt to tackle ‘shoebox housing’ runs into trouble,” highlighted the exclusion of “coffin homes” from a […]

Hong Kong’s Housing Authority (HA) has suggested criminalising the abuse of public housing units to enhance the deterrent effect. The proposed maximum penalty would be one year of imprisonment and a fine of HK$500,000. Speaking on RTHK on Wednesday morning, Cleresa Wong, chair of the subsidised housing committee of the HA, said the authority had […]

Marco Rubio, Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, will say Wednesday that China cheated its way to superpower status and that the “liberal world order” long cherished by the US elite should be discarded. Rubio will face fellow senators at his confirmation hearing in what is likely to be among the least contentious sessions […]

Hong Kong saw 35 heat records broken in 2024, the Observatory has said, as it highlighted a warmer than ever winter and autumn. Last year was already the city’s hottest year since records began 140 years ago. Aside from May, all months in 2024 logged higher temperatures against the average in the three decades between […]

Apple Daily’s lease did not require pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai to declare the operations of a consultancy firm at the newspaper’s premises, Hong Kong’s appeals court has heard as the tycoon sought to overturn a fraud conviction. Lai appeared before judges Jeremy Poon, Anthea Pang, and Derek Pang at the Court of Appeal on […]

Former university professor Khaw Kim Sun has been found guilty and sentenced to life for a second time following a retrial, in which he was convicted of murdering his wife and daughter with a carbon monoxide-filled yoga ball in 2015. A seven-member jury in High Court on Tuesday unanimously found Khaw, a Malaysian-born anaesthesiologist formerly […]

A Hong Kong task force sent to Thailand is “trying their best to help” trafficked Hongkongers illegally held in Myanmar, Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday. “The Security Bureau’s task force is… trying all their best to help those who are being kept in captivity in Southeast Asian countries, Myanmar in this case,” Lee […]

Hong Kong authorities have said they are investigating the collapse of scaffolding at a construction site that left 11 workers injured, including one still in critical condition, on Monday. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun said in a Facebook post on Monday night that the Labour Department was looking into the incident, which took […]

The Philippines said Tuesday it was alarmed by Chinese coast guard patrols which are growing closer to the country’s shore. Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis. The Philippines said China’s deployment this month of a “monster” coast guard vessel demonstrated Beijing’s “increasing […]

Chinese officials are exploring a potential sale of US TikTok operations to billionaire Elon Musk as the video-sharing platform faces an American law requiring imminent Chinese divestment, Bloomberg News reported Monday. The report, citing anonymous people familiar with the matter, outlined one scenario being discussed in Beijing where Musk’s social media company X would purchase […]

Hong Kong’s first-ever giant panda twins will make their debut to the public in February, Chief Executive John Lee has announced. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Lee said the two pandas – who live at Ocean Park – were nearly six months old. The public will be able to visit them next month. […]

The wife and son of wanted former pollster Chung Kim-wah have been questioned by national security police, local media has reported, a day after Chung’s ex-colleague was also questioned and his office was searched as part of a national security investigation. Chung was among six people living overseas that were added to a police wanted list […]