Safeguarding national security is crucial for Hong Kong to fully implement the “one country, two systems” governing principle and ensure the city’s stability, which will aid its development and attract foreign investors. That was the key takeaway from a high-level meeting hosted by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Saturday to discuss a white paper…
Hong Kong’s rail operator has been urged to investigate whether human error was behind the recent 1½-hour partial shutdown of the Island line and to strengthen staff training to prevent similar incidents in the future. Former lawmaker Gary Zhang Xinyu, also ex-MTR Corporation engineer, said on Thursday that the previous day’s disruption was very likely…
Hong Kong’s “Queen of Votes” Christine Fong Kwok-shan ran one of the most cost-effective campaigns in the Legislative Council election, spending an average of just HK$20 per vote, the South China Morning Post has found. An SCMP review of the election spending declarations by 32 candidates who contested directly elected seats also found that some…
The Hong Kong government is considering allowing a maximum of two dogs per diner into restaurants licenced under a new pet-friendly policy, with the permits possibly being granted only to larger premises at the outset. A day after authorities told lawmakers they had no intention to set limits on the number of dogs allowed into…
Hong Kong’s lowest-paid workers are set to receive a pay rise of HK$1 per hour, from the current HK$42.10 (US$5.40) to HK$43.10, as recommended by the government’s top decision-making body, with the new rate expected to come into force as early as May. The government announced on Tuesday that the Executive Council had adopted the…
To err is human. But when an error funnels through a system that has safeguards, the error is supposed to be caught and rectified. Checks and balances are written into the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini constitution. Hong Kong has an executive-led system, which means it is the executive branch’s job to formulate and implement…
Hong Kong authorities will submit a draft law by the end of this year to strengthen enforcement against fire safety violations, including issuing fixed penalties alongside existing prosecution options that can take months to carry out. Responding to questions from the South China Morning Post, a Security Bureau spokeswoman said that a fixed penalty system…
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…
Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog plans to consult lawmakers this year about introducing mandatory data breach reporting and related penalties, the body’s chief has said. Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Ada Chung Lai-ling on Saturday revealed details about the proposed legislative amendments to the city’s privacy ordinance, after authorities stalled the measures in 2024 due to…
Bitcoin’s collapse has prompted some retail investors in Hong Kong to snap up the world’s largest cryptocurrency after its value fell by more than half from its peak. According to crypto asset data tracker CoinGecko, the price of bitcoin slumped to almost US$60,000 on Friday morning, Hong Kong time, less than half its historical high…