Hong Kong will relaunch direct flights with Almaty in Kazakhstan in the first quarter of next year, the city’s leader has announced in a breakthrough which businesses have said will be essential for easing travel and strengthening ties with Central Asia. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who is leading a high-powered delegation to the region,…
A lack of direct flights has been a bugbear to Hong Kong and Kazakhstan forging closer ties but with the city’s leader now in Astana and hints of incentives on the table, hopes are rising for a breakthrough. It is understood that a Hong Kong-based airline is now exploring launching such flights up to three…
In a bustling Hong Kong commercial district, some internet cafes are shifting beyond serving as gaming hubs for young people looking to spend a few hours hunched over a computer playing video games. Inside one such venue in Mong Kok, gamers can rent one of two private booths for about HK$200 (US$25.50) a night. With…
For Hongkonger Annyee Chan, the decision to stop breastfeeding her son at eight months was a pragmatic response to a city that often feels at odds with the needs of nursing mothers. Returning to work just one month after childbirth, the self-employed wealth management professional faced a gruelling logistical challenge, navigating a city with sparse…
The authority managing Hong Kong International Airport has taken over the retail and entertainment operations of 11 Skies from New World Development ahead of the opening of the second passenger terminal, the South China Morning Post has learned. Multiple sources said the Airport Authority had assumed control of key components of the 2.66 million sq…
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will dip into its reserves to repay a HK$4 billion (US$510.9 million) government loan owed by its debt-ridden private hospital, the institution’s council chairman has said. The finances of the CUHK Medical Centre were on the agenda of Friday’s Legislative Council health panel meeting, but the discussion was…
A Hong Kong cook has been jailed for 18 years for persistently sexually abusing the daughter he shares with his mistress, also slammed by the judge for trying to keep the victim silent about the defendant’s crimes. The High Court on Wednesday said a deterrent sentence was necessary for the 61-year-old to reflect society’s abhorrence…
Hong Kong’s unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 3.7 per cent in the first quarter, marking a second consecutive decline across rolling three-month periods. The Census and Statistics Department said on Thursday the jobless rate stood at 3.7 per cent for January to March, down from 3.8 per cent in the preceding period…
More than 600 defaulters aged 60 and above have failed to repay their student loans under five government financial assistance schemes designed to fund their tertiary and post-secondary studies, with the average amount owed standing at HK$17,400 (US$2,220). In a reply to questions from lawmakers on Wednesday, the Education Bureau said it had recorded 9,838…
Japanese rock band One OK Rock has abruptly cancelled the Hong Kong leg of its Asian tour in early May due to “unforeseen circumstances”, leaving local fans disappointed. The announcement on Thursday followed a similar move in early March, when the band cancelled its May 9 concert in Shanghai. Led by frontman Taka, the band,…