A fatal fire at a subdivided flat on Thursday has highlighted the need to eradicate substandard housing in Hong Kong, the housing minister has said, noting that affected residents had an average living space of just five square metres (54 sq ft). Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin was referring to Thursday’s blaze in a…
Hong Kong authorities will consider requiring operators to display the odds of winning on claw machines, while remaining open to increasing the prize value and maximum payout per game under a proposed regulatory regime, the home affairs minister has said. “The most important thing is to protect players and consumers, ensure they play in a…
Hong Kong authorities have failed to meet targets on the supply and construction of youth hostels, with the number of flats offered accounting for only 44 per cent of what was intended, an audit report has found. The Audit Commission on Wednesday released its report reviewing the government’s development and management of the facilities under…
Hong Kong’s leader has defended the government’s decision to put the legalisation of basketball betting on hold, stressing the policy was never intended to encourage gambling and that all risks must be controlled before any further steps are taken. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made the remarks on Tuesday after the government’s surprising U-turn last…
Hong Kong’s sole legal betting operator and lawmakers were caught off guard by the government’s abrupt decision to suspend the rollout of legal basketball betting, which some believe was intended to align with Beijing’s efforts to curb gambling amid a surge in prediction markets. The government confirmed on Monday that it had suspended its plan…
Hong Kong authorities have proposed a legal amendment requiring property owners to attend a mandatory briefing on major renovation projects before voting on procurement resolutions, in a move aimed at curbing bid-rigging following the deadly blaze in Tai Po. Speaking on a radio programme on Saturday, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen…
Hong Kong’s home affairs minister has pledged that a briefing set to be held ahead of an owners’ meeting petitioned for by residents of the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court will address their concerns, saying it will not clash with ongoing inquiry hearings or the schedule for their return home. More than 300 homeowners petitioned for…
Displaced residents from the seven fire-ravaged blocks of Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court will be allowed to return to their flats for up to three hours to collect their personal belongings, with the first batch to be allowed back on April 20. Authorities said on Friday that each household could register up to four people…
More than 300 homeowners from the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po have signed a petition to be sent to Hong Kong’s leader, demanding a face-to-face meeting with the government-appointed Hop On Management Company over unresolved issues. The letter to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, obtained by the South China Morning Post on Sunday,…
A Hong Kong district councillor who illegally parked his car and blocked access to a fire exit lane has been “sternly reminded” to watch his conduct, a minister has said, following a similar offence by a colleague within a week. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen revealed on Friday that the Kwai…