Hong Kong lawmaker William Wong Kam-fai failed to report his arrest for alleged drink-driving to the Legislative Council as required under its code of conduct, and is expected to face an internal investigation that could result in stiff penalties, the South China Morning Post has learned. The 66-year-old lawmaker, who is also an associate dean…
A former Hong Kong lawmaker who previously headed the city’s largest, now-defunct opposition party has been released from prison after completing his sentence in a landmark subversion case. He boarded a seven-seater car which took him to Fung Tak Estate in Diamond Hill. Dressed in a white shirt, he alighted with two bags of belongings…
Hong Kong authorities have proposed a major overhaul of outdated sexual offences laws, including criminalising same-sex rape, introducing new offences and establishing a uniform age of consent at 16 while removing gender-specific provisions and increasing penalties. In a 59-page consultation paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Monday, the Security Bureau proposed a series of…
Before Scott Pelley was fired from 60 Minutes last week, he accused CBS’s editor-in-chief of “murdering” the programme he had served for over two decades. For a show that once defined hard-edged journalism, his dismissal raises questions about what institutional independence means. The split followed a tense staff meeting in which Pelley confronted the show’s…
Contractors should take “all reasonable steps”, such as installing CCTV cameras and setting up temporary cigarette storage points, to comply with a coming smoking ban on construction sites, Hong Kong labour authorities have said. They should also ask individuals to stop using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, even though they do not require lighting, the…
Uber is investigating a complaint involving three female passengers who said they felt threatened during an early morning ride home in Hong Kong, after the driver allegedly told vulgar jokes, deviated from the original route and locked the vehicle doors when asked to drop them off. The ride-hailing company said on Monday that it was…
Hong Kong should not limit the number of vehicles licensed to provide ride-hailing services. In particular, every owner of an electric vehicle that complies with the regulations should, in principle, be able to obtain one on demand by paying the required fee. Normal market forces, together with fees and other licensing requirements, will be sufficient…
Hong Kong authorities have finally begun laying out details on how they plan to regulate ride-hailing platforms such as Uber, Tada and Didi Chuxing, months after lawmakers passed the city’s first legal framework for the sector in October. Officials have provided more information on enforcement powers, penalties and licensing arrangements, although the key issue of…
The Hong Kong government plans to launch a public consultation this quarter on the city’s first five-year plan aligned with national development, aiming to gather views on which policies the government should focus on in the coming years. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that Hong Kong’s five-year plan would bring numerous benefits,…
Hong Kong authorities will take public opinion into account when deciding whether to trigger a new investigation mechanism to hold senior officials accountable, the city’s civil service minister has said. Permanent secretaries of bureaus, who are not covered by the proposed “Heads of Department Accountability System”, will also face scrutiny if they are found to…