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WORLD2h agoHong Kong urged to better monitor, support carers after elderly woman’s deathThe arrest of a domestic helper over the suspected murder of an elderly woman in Hong Kong has prompted calls to include carers who look after isolated seniors in a government database to strengthen support and monitoring. While stressing that physical abuse was unacceptable, social welfare observers and a migrant workers’ group said domestic helpers often shouldered most of the caregiving burden and needed adequate rest and support, especially as the government promoted “ageing in place” amid a...South China Morning Post
HEALTH2h agoSpirit of Hong Kong Awards: mental health advocate who saved suicidal teenHongkongers can be struggling with severe mental health problems but still not be considered urgent cases, according to mental health advocate Minal Mahtani, who wants community groups to play a bigger role before individual cases reach crisis point. Mahtani, founder of OCD & Anxiety Support Hong Kong, said better referrals between hospitals, community mental health services and specialist charities could help people receive timely support while they wait for formal treatment. Her work has...South China Morning Post
DISASTER3h agoHong Kong MTR trains skip Lam Tin station after smoke reported on platformTrain services at Lam Tin station gradually resumed on Wednesday morning, about an hour after smoke from platform equipment forced the station to close. At around 10am, the MTR Corporation said the incident had been resolved and normal train services were gradually resuming. The rail operator had earlier announced that Kwun Tong line trains would skip Lam Tin station because equipment on the platform was emitting smoke. It temporarily closed the station and evacuated passengers. Photos...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS3h agoDoes Hong Kong’s economy serve the people or profit?China has lifted nearly 800 million people out of extreme poverty, arguably the greatest achievement in poverty reduction in human history. Even so, no mainland Chinese economist has won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Across the Pacific, the United States has produced about 75 per cent of Nobel economics laureates, even as its economy staggers under mounting public debt, chronic fiscal deficits, and recurring financial crises and government shutdowns. Of the 99 economics laureates ever...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS4h agoWhy did Hong Kong’s 11 Skies fail and can the megaproject be rescued?The roar of plane engines and the hustle and bustle at Hong Kong International Airport’s Terminal 2 present a stark contrast to the pin-drop silence at the adjacent 11 Skies commercial complex. A South China Morning Post reporter who travelled between the two places in early October found minimal footfall at the shopping centre, with the bright and airy environment of the airport terminal replaced by dim, stuffy and boarded-up corridors, and poor air conditioning amid the simmering outdoor...South China Morning Post
POLITICS15h agoTaiwanese finance minister plans to join Apec meeting in Hong KongTaiwanese Finance Minister Chuang Tsui-yun plans to attend the Apec meeting in Hong Kong, where the Chinese finance chief is due to deliver the opening speech. Chuang’s ministry told Reuters on Tuesday she would attend the meeting “as is customary”. Hong Kong is hosting the Apec Finance Ministers’ Meeting on October 20 and 21, while the Economic Leaders’ Summit will take place in Shenzhen next month. China is the summit host for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum this year. In response...South China Morning Post
POLITICS15h agoHong Kong renews TV station licences with push for ‘telling good stories’Hong Kong authorities have renewed the free-to-air licences of the city’s television broadcasters with conditions to boost local production of English-language national education shows and programmes aimed at “telling good stories” of the city. The Executive Council, the city’s top decision-making body, approved the renewal on Tuesday, extending 12-year licences to all three broadcasters. These licences will run until 2039 for HK Television Entertainment (HKTVE) and TVB, and until 2040 for...South China Morning Post
WORLD17h agoHong Kong star Angela Yuen details harassment, sparking writer’s apologyHong Kong actress Angela Yuen Lai-lam has detailed her experiences with sexual harassment over years in the entertainment industry, including an incident where an actor planted an unscripted kiss on her cheek during filming. The revelations by the film star – a two-time Golden Horse Award nominee, including a nod for next month’s ceremony – sparked heated discussion online and swift fallout. On Tuesday, culture editor and writer Wong Wing-leung, known by his pen name “Red Eye”, issued an apology...South China Morning Post
DISASTER18h agoCommuters stranded as track fire disrupts MTR services in Hong KongA fire near an MTR track halted train services between Kwun Tong and Tiu Keng Leng stations during the evening rush hour in Hong Kong on Tuesday, leaving commuters stranded on packed platforms and concourses. Services along the Kwun Tong line gradually resumed at roughly 6.40pm after the fire was extinguished, the MTR Corporation said. The fire, reported along the Whampoa-bound line at Lam Tin station, led to the suspension of services at four stations: Kwun Tong, Lam Tin, Yau Tong and Tiu Keng...South China Morning Post
DISASTER18h ago4 elderly women among 179 reported trapped in lifts after power dip in Hong KongFour elderly women were injured among nearly 180 reports of people being trapped in lifts after a brief voltage dip in CLP Power’s network tripped building safety mechanisms in various districts across Hong Kong on Tuesday. The Fire Services Department said that from 1.10pm to 3pm, it received 179 reports of persons trapped in lifts and 40 fire alarms going off in parts of Kowloon and the New Territories. Residential and commercial buildings, hospitals, shopping centres, MTR stations and school...South China Morning Post
WORLD20h agoLate Superstar Anita Mui’s Ashes Missing In Hong KongThe diva of Cantopop -- a popular music genre sung in the Cantonese language -- died from cervical cancer aged 40 in 2003 after selling millions of records. The post Late Superstar Anita Mui’s Ashes Missing In Hong Kong appeared first on Channels Television.Channels TV
WORLD20h agoLessons for life: Hong Kong educator looks beyond exams and interviewsFor Hong Kong educator Christine Ma-Lau, preparing children for exams or school interviews is only part of the job – helping them understand who they are, how to treat others and what they can contribute to society matters just as much. Ma-Lau founded JEMS Character Academy in 2009 after concluding that many imported character education programmes did not fully meet Hong Kong’s needs. She developed her own curriculum around three areas: identity, relationships and community. Her work has earned...South China Morning Post
WORLD21h agoHong Kong police arrest 20 over prostitution syndicate that trapped women in debtHong Kong police have arrested 20 people in connection with a cross-border prostitution syndicate that allegedly recruited women from Southeast Asia and required them to provide unpaid sexual services to repay travel debts. Police said on Tuesday that the syndicate paid for the women’s travel and accommodation but required them to provide sexual services 30 to 45 times without payment before they could earn money from prostitution. The women then had to hand over half their earnings. “This...South China Morning Post
WORLD22h agoHong Kong group aims to cultivate a lasting future for rural Lantau communitiesMany rural projects in Hong Kong start with funding, run for a year or two, then disappear when the money runs out. Good Old Soil, a community organisation, is trying to take a different approach on Lantau. Supported by the non-profit Land Education Foundation, the organisation works with farmers, young people, restaurants, craftspeople and businesses to build a local economy that can sustain itself after individual grants end. Founded in 2022, Good Old Soil opened a shop in Mui Wo that same...South China Morning Post
WORLD1d agoHong Kong police ramp up investigation into Anita Mui’s missing ashes with unit upgradeHong Kong police have stepped up their investigation into the disappearance of the ashes of late Cantopop diva Anita Mui Yim-fong by committing more resources and manpower to the case. Mui’s family had revealed over the weekend that the urn containing the singer’s remains was discovered to be missing from Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island three months ago, complaining that police had made “no progress” in their investigation and that the incident had caused “immense distress”. A police spokesman...South China Morning Post
HEALTH1d agoTherapy dogs in high demand: Hong Kong programme booked out until February 2027A Hong Kong therapy-dog programme run by one staff member and 65 volunteers with their dogs is fully booked until February 2027, as demand from schools, hospitals and elderly homes continues to outstrip the available visiting slots. Animals Asia’s Dr Dog and Professor Paws programmes rely on volunteers who give up their time, shoulder much of the cost of transporting their dogs and return regularly to venues across the city. “None of it would be possible without the volunteers,” said Karina...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS1d agoApec a chance for Hong Kong to earn its place in China’s tourism boomOver the coming weeks, Hong Kong and Shenzhen will host two major gatherings of Asia-Pacific decision-makers. Hong Kong’s first Apec Finance Ministers’ Meeting takes place on October 20-21, with around 500 visitors expected, while Shenzhen hosts the Apec Economic Leaders’ Week next month. These Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meetings will bring international visitors to two neighbouring cities at the centre of China’s Apec year. For Hong Kong’s tourism industry, they offer a timely...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS1d agoChina finance minister to deliver opening speech at Apec meeting in Hong KongChina’s finance minister, Lan Foan, will deliver a keynote speech, while presentations by three prominent financial institutions will be among the highlights of next week’s Apec meeting in Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post has learned. A draft agenda obtained by the SCMP on Monday listed a series of programmes for finance ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s 21 member economies on October 20 and 21 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Sources...South China Morning Post
POLITICS1d agoHong Kong can boost regional prosperity through ‘soft connectivity’, adviser saysHong Kong’s institutional advantages and close ties with mainland China and the wider world can contribute to the Asia-Pacific region’s prosperity, a key adviser to the city’s leader has told a conference. Stephen Wong Yuen-shan, head of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit, said on Monday that Hong Kong was transforming itself into the region’s institutional “harbour” – where trade from regional markets could converge and take advantage of the city’s “soft connectivity” advantages. He said such...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECH1d agoHong Kong electronics fairs to showcase 120 robots as firms aim to expand AI useMore than 120 robots, including humanoid machines designed for factory work and elderly care, will be showcased at two major Hong Kong electronics fairs, as mainland Chinese manufacturers seek to expand the commercial applications of AI and tap overseas markets. The Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) and electronicAsia will open on Tuesday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, bringing together more than 3,200 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions for four...South China Morning Post
HEALTH1d agoHong Kong steps up Russia arrival checks after Siberian lab worker’s deathHong Kong will step up health surveillance measures for arrivals after a laboratory worker at an anti-plague research institute in Russia died from pneumonia, but authorities have stressed the risk to residents remains low. According to World Health Organization (WHO) information provided by Russian authorities, there was no evidence of ongoing transmission, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Monday. Russian authorities previously stated ‌that the worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS1d agoHong Kong to expand indices, derivatives and yuan-denominated products: HKEX CEOHong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) is planning further measures to boost market liquidity, attract more international investors and expand the use of China’s currency, including through yuan-denominated gold futures and stock trading, according to a blog post by its CEO on Monday. The plans come as the city steps up efforts to reinforce its position as a leading international financial centre, following priorities outlined in the government’s policy address and the city’s five-year...South China Morning Post
BUSINESS1d agoFew Hong Kong investors take interest in listing by Africa’s top phone maker TranssionShenzhen Transsion Holdings drew a lukewarm response for its HK$3.36 billion (US$428 million) Hong Kong share offering, heightening worries over market sentiment for new listings in the fourth quarter. The maker of Africa’s bestselling phones closed its bookbuilding on Monday, with preliminary figures showing the offering attracted about 14,000 applications and was oversubscribed roughly 3.5 times, according to people familiar with the matter. Retail participation in Hong Kong initial public...South China Morning Post
POLITICS1d agoEx-US FDA official to lead Hong Kong’s new medical products regulatorA Beijing-educated former official at the US federal drug regulator has been appointed to lead Hong Kong’s new medical products body, tasked with accelerating the clinical use of medicines and medical devices as part of a regulatory overhaul. Li Zili, who previously worked at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), would take up the post of controller for medical products regulation under the Department of Health on a three-year term beginning October 20, the government said on Monday. He...South China Morning Post