Hong Kong will begin the nomination process for its next Legislative Council on October 24, with the current legislature standing prorogued on the same day, the government has announced. Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said on Wednesday that the date was set after taking the election date of December 7 into consideration. In…
A proposed piece of legislation by the Hong Kong government to recognise same-sex partnerships is set to be the first bill the legislature will reject since Beijing overhauled the city’s electoral system in 2021 to ensure only “patriots” held political power. The new law, opposed by the major political parties, was the government’s response to…
A government proposal to tighten the physical fitness requirements for commercial vehicle drivers in Hong Kong will be introduced to the legislature no later than the first quarter of next year, according to the city’s transport minister. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan also said on Saturday that physical fitness checks could include tests…
Hong Kong authorities should be “very careful” before they resort to banning certain lawyers from meeting their clients in custody under revised prison rules, the head of the city’s Bar Association has said. In an interview with the Post, senior counsel Jose-Antonio Maurellet added that some members of the professional body had also expressed concerns…
The Hong Kong government is facing mounting calls to mandate stricter health checks on elderly cabbies, but the taxi industry has pushed back and demanded that drivers be fully subsidised for annual medical screenings. The taxi trade, under fire after a number of crashes involving cabbies in their eighties in recent years, also warned on…
An advocacy organisation that has fought to protect Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour for nearly 30 years has announced its disbandment more than two months after the government amended a law which the group said could pave the way for large-scale reclamation. “Our society is aiming to protect the harbour under its legal basis, but that…
Hong Kong authorities are planning to engage the Jockey Club for discussions on adjusting the maximum betting limits for basketball to provide a regulated channel for such activities, as the government moves to legalise wagering for the sport. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Saturday that lawmakers previously suggested the…
A Hong Kong lawmaker has said the rise of “obedient and caring” virtual partners generated by artificial intelligence is partly to blame for the city’s low birth rate, noting such digital companions offer emotional support and lack interpersonal conflicts. Legislator William Wong Kam-fai, who is also a computational linguistics professor, called on the government to…
A Hong Kong lawmaker has said the rise of “obedient and caring” virtual partners generated by artificial intelligence is partly to blame for the city’s low birth rate, noting such digital companions offer emotional support and lack interpersonal conflicts. Legislator William Wong Kam-fai, who is also a computational linguistics professor, called on the government to…
Hong Kong should avoid negative labels for certified subdivided flats as they provide accommodation to people from all walks of life, the housing minister has said, while stressing that a planned shake-up of standards will not drive up rents. In an exclusive interview with the Post, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin also said temporary…