The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has accused the head of a Hong Kong journalists’ union of abusing the legal process by suing the newspaper over her dismissal only after her “extortionate” HK$3 million (US$385,500) proposal for settlement was rejected. Lawyers for Dow Jones Publishing Co (Asia) told Eastern Court on Thursday that Selina Cheng Kar-yue’s…
A charity in Hong Kong that quietly helps hundreds of injured workers every year will soon get much-needed financial support to assist more employees and their families. The Hong Kong Workers’ Health Centre (HKWHC) is one of 13 charities selected this year to receive funding from the annual Operation Santa Claus (OSC) fundraising campaign. The…
A domestic helper who died in Hong Kong’s devastating Tai Po fire last month planned to return home permanently to the Philippines to be with her 10-year-old son and was due to leave on Saturday, the Post has learned. Maryan Pascual Esteban, 39, died with her ward, five-year-old Hannah, in the inferno at the Wang…
Ambiguous rules, lax supervision and uncoordinated policies involving at least four departments are among some deep-rooted problems contributing to the inferno that killed 160 residents in Hong Kong, analysts have said, as the Post reviewed what went wrong. Some industry insiders also questioned whether housing authorities, who oversee a lesser-known independent checking unit, should have…
An Indonesian foreign ministry delegation in Hong Kong is hoping to expedite the repatriation of the bodies of nine helpers who died in the devastating Tai Po fire two weeks ago, with the country’s consulate also praising its nationals’ resilience in the face of tragedy. The Indonesian team joined the Philippines’ top diplomat in Hong…
Hong Kong has now elected members to the new Legislative Council. Despite the temporary suspension of campaigning work and candidate debates after the Tai Po fire broke out, the polls were held as planned to avert a constitutional crisis. It was a tough decision to make. The official mourning period may have ended on December…
The consultant behind the renovation of Wang Fuk Court, the housing estate reduced to ruins in Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in seven decades, is to close down as experts warn the case highlights limited protection for flat owners under the city’s corporate liability laws. The Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies told the Post…
This article was originally published on December 2, 2000 By Felix Chan Warning for MPF-dodging bosses Employers were warned on Friday (December 1, 2000), the day the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) was launched, that they could not escape paying their fair share. Only about 135,000 employers, 54 per cent of those required to do so,…
As Hong Kong mourns the victims of the deadly Tai Po blaze and questions emerge on accountability, experts have called for much tighter supervision of building maintenance and fire safety by authorities to hold relevant parties responsible so that future tragedies can be averted. They gave this assessment as the government set up an interdepartmental…
Systemic failings around supervision of building maintenance in Hong Kong, and a lack of coordination between departments charged with ensuring it is done properly, both needed to be addressed to prevent tragedies such as the Tai Po fire happening again, experts and sector representatives have said. The regulation of polystyrene foam boards was particularly important,…