Hong Kong’s U-turn on its seat belt rule for buses is a sobering reminder to lawmakers that they must meet higher standards even under the “executive-led” governance model recently underlined by Beijing, according to several policy experts. They noted that some lawmakers had been complacent, prioritising speed over efficacy in policymaking in a “patriots-only” legislature…
The provisional administrator of the housing estate ravaged by Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades will attend hearings of the independent committee “as necessary” to represent the “common interests” of the owners’ corporation, the city’s home affairs chief has said amid criticisms that displaced residents lack legal representation in the probe. Secretary for Home and…
Some residents of Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court have urged an independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades to identify and hold those responsible to account, as the judge leading the inquiry vows a fair and thorough probe. The committee’s first hearing began at 10am on Thursday with a minute of silence to…
Hong Kong police have arrested 71 people for operating stooge accounts used by scammers, with the largest case involving a senior director at a multinational company who was defrauded of HK$134 million after transferring the funds to criminals impersonating his chief executive. Inspector Tsang Kin-wa of the Hong Kong Island regional technology and financial crime…
Hong Kong civil servants have been urged to exercise greater caution and refrain from accepting any offers in the workplace, as stakeholders called on authorities to explain how the head of a government office became embroiled in a bribery case. Ricky Cheng Chun-sang, former director of the Tianjin Liaison Unit, was dismissed last week and…
Relatives of the 39 victims in one of Hong Kong’s deadliest maritime disasters expressed anger after the coroner overseeing an inquest said it was “impractical and unrealistic” for them to expect inspectors could have spotted a missing watertight door if they had examined the ship’s structural drawings. Coroner Monica Chow Wai-choo said on Thursday, the…
A Hong Kong court has ordered the buildings authorities to reconsider the licence renewal application of a construction company linked to five workplace deaths across three accidents, ruling that officials failed to provide adequate reasons for their refusal. The High Court’s Madam Justice Yvonne Cheng Wai-sum ruled in favour of Aggressive Construction on Wednesday, although…
Hong Kong authorities will hold three logistics department officers accountable over their roles in a bottled water procurement scandal, with the former director, set to have his Silver Bauhinia Star revoked, cleared of direct oversight. Civil service chief Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said a probe into the scandal involving the HK$166 million bottled water procurement…
The White House’s top science adviser on Wednesday said that the Biden administration’s decision to get rid of the Justice Department’s China Initiative was “damaging”, though stopped short of recommending that it should be fully brought back. Asked by Florida Republican Daniel Webster whether the termination of the programme aimed at combating alleged economic espionage…
School principals in Hong Kong have urged the government to exempt supply teachers from needing to obtain newly proposed practising certificates, to avoid placing unnecessary obstacles in the way of hiring such in-demand substitute teachers. Their calls came as the Education Bureau said last month that it was consulting the Department of Justice on the…