Twenty Hong Kong couples have each received baby bonuses totalling HK$60,000 (US$7,700) for having three children in about 2½ years. Yet less than 60 per cent of the HK$2.28 billion earmarked for the three-year government scheme has been disbursed as of February, with just over six months to go before it ends in October. Government…
Landlords of more than 5,500 subdivided homes in Hong Kong have applied for a three-year grace period to meet size, safety and hygiene requirements following a new law on basic housing standards taking effect six weeks ago. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Saturday that the government had received applications for 5,557 subdivided…
Closing struggling Hong Kong schools in the short term will prevent future problems for parents, the education minister has said, warning that the city has already exhausted all mitigation measures to reduce the impact of the shrinking pupil population. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said on Wednesday that the problem of under-enrolment remained unresolved…
Hong Kong authorities have launched a two-month operation to inspect fire safety equipment in residential and mixed-use buildings that are aged 39 years or older, in a continuing effort to strengthen oversight in the aftermath of the deadly Tai Po blaze. Law Kin-san, divisional officer for policy at the Fire Services Department, said on Monday…
A new glass walkway in a recently opened section of the promenade in Hong Kong’s Eastern district has drawn tens of thousands of people in its first week, with the daily peak reaching 16,000, according to authorities. The glass observatory deck, which offers visitors a view of the harbour beneath, was part of the final…
Hong Kong Island’s 13km (8-mile) promenade will be fully connected after 16 years of planning and construction, with the last section of the boardwalk in North Point to open to the public on Monday. The Development Bureau said on Sunday that the eastern section of the East Coast Boardwalk, spanning 1.1km from the North Point…
It was only after his family were granted permission to start a new life in Australia that footballer Valentino Yuel realised there was a world beyond the Kenyan refugee camp where he spent his first 11 years. Yuel, 31, who joined Hong Kong Premier League club Eastern District in October, was born in 1994 to…
Hong Kong’s largest political party won far fewer votes in Sunday’s battle for directly contested seats in the legislature compared with four years ago as its candidates grappled with tough races and public anger over the deadly fire in Tai Po. While the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) retained…
Hong Kong’s chief executive will lead a delegation to Beijing next week to attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and has pledged to install commemorative plaques at various local sites to deepen residents’ understanding of the city’s wartime history. John Lee Ka-chiu on Saturday also continued…
Hong Kong’s No 2 official has urged the public not to panic over a possible outbreak of chikungunya fever, expressing confidence that infections can be contained with government workers stepping up mosquito control efforts. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki made the appeal as Hong Kong reported five imported cases in a week, while Tuen Mun…