China’s manned space agency said on Sunday it is delaying a research moon mission that is part of Beijing’s efforts to land a crew there by 2030, less than two weeks after a rare launch failure. The agency said after a “comprehensive assessment” the mission, which involved sending the Chang’e-7 lunar probe on a Long […]

Hong Kong authorities have launched a new booking system for visitors to a popular Sai Kung coastal trail, in a bid to better manage crowds and protect the natural environment. Registration began on Monday for sightseers looking to visit the Po Pin Chau section of the High Island Geo Trail next weekend, with a quota […]

Outside a commercial building in Causeway Bay, one of Hong Kong’s busiest shopping districts, a column of people carrying umbrellas and flowers wrapped around the block. For hours, mourners waited in the rain so they could pay their respects to Wang Wang, a stray dog who was killed by five boys in mainland China. Holding […]

A low-budget Chinese animated film that was widely mocked for its crude visuals became a viral hit, with people packing cinemas to see just how bad it is. “Niu Lai”, which translates to “Here Comes the Cow”, earned around 7,000 yuan ($1,000) in its opening week from August 5, before surging to 33.06 million yuan […]

China said on Friday that US “sanctions and pressure” would not resolve the Middle East conflict, after Washington urged governments including Beijing to join efforts to isolate the Iranian economy. The United States has vowed it would “collapse” the Iranian regime with its threatened campaign, which Tehran has branded as “economic terrorism” doomed to fail, […]

A Hong Kong woman was found dead at a licensed animal shelter in Ta Kwu Ling on Thursday after she was mauled by a dog, adding to a string of attacks this week involving canines. Police said on Thursday night that a 33-year-old woman was found dead at the animal shelter in Ping Yeung Village, […]

Close to 70 percent of upper primary students in Hong Kong say they experience stress brought on by excessive school assessments and testing, a new survey conducted by a local charity and a social work scholar has found. A total of 5,200 pupils in Primary Four to Six were interviewed in the survey, conducted by […]

Fewer than 30,000 babies were born over the past year, representing a plummeting birth rate despite the government’s monetary incentives aimed at encouraging fertility. According to figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Tuesday, a total of 29,709 babies were born from July 2025 to to the end of June this year. It […]

An animal rights NGO is offering a HK$50,000 reward for anyone with information that could assist police in a case involving suspected hamster abuse. In a social media post on Wednesday, PETA Asia said the discovery of two hamsters next to a rubbish bin in Sham Shui Po with severe injuries to their limbs was […]

A Hong Kong court has dismissed a father’s “inappropriate” application for a writ of habeas corpus for his infant son Danny, who was born unassisted at home and has been kept in government custody. When granted, a writ of habeas corpus – meaning “to have the body” – would force a person or authority holding […]

Authorities are aiming to revamp a heat stress warning system by the end of the month after it was deemed inadequate by former Observatory chiefs amid a historic heatwave. Labour and welfare chief Chris Sun said on Tuesday that the government would look into whether the warning system could be better tailored to Hong Kong’s […]

Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji was mourned on Tuesday with lowered flags and social media commemorations, ahead of a funeral for the reforming trailblazer who died last week at 97. Known for his decisive restructuring of the Chinese economy during a five-year premiership starting in 1998, Zhu has been praised since his Wednesday passing by […]

More than one in 10 Hong Kong primary and secondary school students have engaged in self-harm, a survey has found, with almost half saying school was their main source of stress. Researchers behind the study, conducted by the Junior Chamber International Lion Rock and the Hong Kong Family Mediation Association (HKFMA), said students tie academic […]

Residents living in “shoebox” flats and other inadequate housing have experienced temperatures that feel like 52 degrees Celsius this summer, a climate NGO has found. The CarbonCare InnoLab said in a press conference on Sunday that it took temperature and humidity readings at 86 households over the past two months, 80 per cent of which […]

A Chinese container vessel has set sail for Europe through the Arctic, part of new weekly service on a route that cuts shipment times in half but which environmental groups warn could speed up the melting of polar ice. The “Dubai Tower” left the eastern port city of Ningbo on Saturday evening heading north, where […]

At a gleaming new factory in China’s central hinterland, masked workers in white uniform season and sift through mounds of latiao, a longtime popular snack that has found hungry fans overseas. Spicy, sweet and curiously chewy, Chinese latiao — literally “spicy strips” — are made by cooking wheat flour dough at a high temperature and […]

A conservative Christian NGO has issued a critique of the security minister’s latest salvo against a local press union, marking the second time it has made a rare public rebuke against the government in a month. Choi Chi-sum, general secretary of the Society for Truth and Light, said in a Thursday Facebook post that the […]

Two more ex-Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) directors have urged the Labour Department to revamp a controversial heat stress warning for outdoor workers, after even record high temperatures triggered only the lowest alert. Lee Boon-ying and Shun Chi-ming, both former directors of the HKO, said in a jointly written op-ed in Ming Pao on Thursday that […]

Hong Kong’s competition watchdog has launched raids at 12 premises over alleged bid-rigging involving 28 building renovation projects worth around HK$500 million. The Competition Commission said on Thursday that the raids, conducted on Wednesday under an operation codenamed “Hunter,” included the offices of four unnamed building contractors. The operation was a follow-up to an investigation […]

Hongkongers are sweltering under extreme heat this summer. On Sunday, the city broke its record for the highest temperature ever recorded at the Observatory’s Tsim Sha Tsui headquarters and, in the days that followed, the mercury surpassed 38 degrees Celsius in some parts of the territory. The city is naturally hot and humid given its […]

Shein will debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange on September 1, the fast-fashion retailer said on Monday, in a long-awaited listing that would value the group at close to US$27 billion. The online retailer plans to offer 280 million shares at a price between HK$47.60 and HK$49.50, raising up to HK$13.86 billion (US$1.7 billion), […]

The Hong Kong government and the legislature have hit back at “external forces” that voiced concerns over the conviction of two pro-democracy figures who organised Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen vigils. In a statement, the government “expressed strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to, and strongly condemned, the baseless slanders” by western nations as well as […]

A famous Chinese comedian is under investigation, local authorities told AFP on Sunday, after he reportedly poked fun at a patriotic song during a performance. The ruling Communist Party maintains tight control over China’s arts scene, and the government has enacted laws in recent years to protect national heroes and symbols from purported slander. Guo […]

The conviction of two pro-democracy figures who organised Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigils has prompted wide approval from government officials. Activists and overseas human rights groups, however, have expressed concern about what they see as declining freedoms in the city. Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan, both former leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support […]

China refuted on Friday a claim from Washington that it has improperly held a US citizen since early June, saying the American was suspected of violating Chinese law. “China is a country governed by the rule of law, and there is no such thing as so-called wrongful detention,” said foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian in […]

Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil activists Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan have been convicted of incitement to subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law. At the West Kowloon Law Courts Building, three national security judges on Friday handed down the guilty verdict in the trial of Chow and Lee Cheuk-yan, both former leaders of the now-defunct […]

Hong Kong’s transport authority will aim to drop crosswalk waiting times by 15 to 20 seconds by implementing an artificial intelligence-powered traffic light system, starting with a junction in Causeway Bay next year. The AI system functions by detecting real-time vehicle and pedestrian traffic and computing signal times accordingly, the Transport Department explained in a […]

Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two staff members from local branches of the skincare chain Opatra London over alleged coercive sales tactics. The Customs and Excise Department said in a media briefing on Wednesday that they arrested a 25-year-old woman, Opatra London Hong Kong’s administrative manager, and a 42-year-old man who served as finance […]

Hong Kong’s stock exchange reported record profits on Wednesday, thanks to a surge in demand for initial public offerings by tech and artificial intelligence companies, the bourse operator said on Wednesday. The results come as Hong Kong’s IPO market saw a surge in listings from the artificial intelligence, technology and media and telecommunications sectors in […]

The owner of a large dog suspected of mauling two smaller dogs to death in Yuen Long has been arrested. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said in a statement on Tuesday night that it had arrested the owner of the dog earlier that day and collected a statement regarding the case. “The dog […]

Hongkong Post has announced it will stop offering permanent civil service contracts to new staff in a bid to cut costs, as its chief has projected a continued decline in mail traffic. The embattled postal service will instead offer two-year contracts to new staff, including mail carriers and postal officers, whose probation periods are set […]

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has fenced off a “Democracy Wall” bulletin board that has been left largely empty for years as it converts it into a digital display. The wall, located outside the main library, was boarded up on Friday, media outlets reported. A notice was stuck reading “sustainable campus, smarter billboards” and […]

Taiwan’s government will propose record defence spending for 2027, President Lai Ching-te said on Monday, as the island democracy faces growing military pressure from China. Beijing claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex the island of 23 million people. Taipei’s announcement comes as governments around the world […]

Additional reporting: Irene Chan. After climbing four flights of stairs in the August summer heat, Helen was met with a locked metal gate and a printed sign saying Have a Nice Stay had permanently closed. “I didn’t think it would be shut already,” Helen told HKFP on the top floor of the walk-up building in […]

By Arnold Welianto and Dessy Sagita in Jakarta Rescuers combed through debris for survivors Saturday after a powerful earthquake struck off Flores island in eastern Indonesia, killing at least 20 people and sending thousands fleeing. As the full scale of the disaster unfolded, rescue official Fathur Rahman told AFP at least 20 people were confirmed […]

China’s embassy in Wellington condemned on Friday “groundless” claims by New Zealand’s spy agency that Beijing had stepped up espionage activities on its soil. An annual report by New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service warned this week that China was conducting espionage against the country “at scale”. In response, a spokesperson for Beijing’s embassy in Wellington […]

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday tariffs of up to 100 percent on imports of unmanned drones and their components to reduce US reliance on imports in an industry dominated by China. The US president justified the decision on national security grounds, according to a White House statement that detailed a 100 percent duty rate […]

A Hong Kong court has acquitted a woman of possessing a weapon when protests were taking place in a neighbouring district in 2019, after she was re-arrested upon returning to the city from Australia earlier this year. Ami Chan was found not guilty of both charges of possessing an offensive weapon and possessing an item […]

Millions of people in Taiwan were forced indoors and mobile internet speeds slowed for 30 minutes on Thursday during a simulation of a Chinese attack on the island democracy. The drill was part of Taiwan’s annual “Han Kuang” military exercise that aims to prepare the island of 23 million people for a potential Chinese invasion. […]

A Hong Kong man has been handed an 18-month probation order for writing “seditious words” in a Tsim Sha Tsui bathroom, marking a rare instance of a non-custodial sentence being handed down for a national security offence. Leung Kai-lok – who the defence said has autism – received the sentence at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts […]

Close to 95 percent of homeowners at the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court have signed and returned a letter of acceptance indicating that they were willing to sell their flats to the government under an official buyback plan. As of August 21, 1,878 owners at the Tai Po estate have expressed interest in the special property […]

A sushi takeout chain has initiated an investigation after a customer found a suspected worm in a box of salmon sushi sold at a branch in Tsuen Wan. Sushi Express Hong Kong said in a Facebook post on Sunday that it had sent a sample for third-party testing, and that it would publicise the results […]

China is mulling a bid to host UN climate talks in 2028, two sources familiar with the matter told AFP Friday, as it seeks to burnish its reputation as a leader in the fight against global warming. Beijing has not yet made a final decision regarding the proposal for the COP33 summit, both sources said, nor […]

A pro-Beijing coalition of trade unions has urged the government to halt Hongkong Post’s decision to stop offering permanent civil servant contracts to new hires in a bid to cut operating costs – a move expected to affect 200 postal workers. Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) lawmaker Bill Tang, along with other unionists […]

A domestic worker has been charged with child abuse after a Hong Kong family alleged to police that their 23-month-old girl had been scalded by hot water while in her care. Khumaeroh, a 30-year-old domestic worker from Indonesia, appeared at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning, Ming Pao reported. Indonesians go by one […]

Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has found that more than 153,000 students and staff from four educational institutions in the city were affected in a global cyberattack on online learning platform Canvas in May. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) published its findings on Thursday based on investigations into the data breaches, […]

China sentenced the founder of embattled property giant Evergrande to life in prison and fined the group more than US$2 billion on Thursday for offences including fraud, five years after a high-profile default. Evergrande Group was once the face of Chinese real estate, surfing a decades-long property boom as it peddled home-ownership dreams. But its […]

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison said on Thursday it has filed international arbitration proceedings against Panama over its cancellation of a concession to operate two ports in the Panama Canal. The dispute stems from a Panama supreme court ruling in January that struck down the contract that let Panama Ports Company (PPC), a unit of […]

A 48-year-old man has been sentenced to 22 years in jail after he repeatedly raped his daughter over a period of 10 years, starting when the victim was only 14. Recorder of the Court of First Instance of the High Court Eric Kwok jailed the man, identified as Y.S., on Tuesday, The Witness reported. Kwok […]

A Hong Kong court has ordered the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily to pay HK$1.5 million in damages to a couple that sued the outlet for defamation over articles published in 2019. The defamation suit was lodged by listed company China Innovation Investment Limited, its chairperson Xiang Xin, and his wife Kung Ching against Apple […]

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has said it may prosecute the owner of a large dog suspected of mauling two smaller pet dogs to death in separate incidents. The Hong Kong Police Force received reports from two pet owners on Monday afternoon about the incidents in Yuen Long. Police arrived on the scene, […]

A Hong Kong pro-democracy activist based in the UK has said that three of his bank accounts with financial services provider Wise have been deactivated, including one for the daily operation of diaspora media outlet Points Media. Finn Lau, an activist, said on X last Friday that Wise had closed his three accounts on the […]

Groups of patriotic Hongkongers have staged anti-Japan demonstrations in front of the country’s consulate on the 81st anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender. Around 20 people gathered outside One Exchange Square in Central, where the consulate is located, on Saturday morning. The people, most of them elderly, raised Chinese flags and condemned Japan as […]

The police force has launched an internal investigation into an officer who appeared in a viral video dancing in uniform with a dog-ear filter. The clip gained traction on platforms in mainland China, including Douyin, the mainland’s version of TikTok. It was captioned “It’s too hot. Let me fan some wind.” “The police have confirmed […]

Hong Kong has logged over 2,100 investment scam cases in the first half of 2026, with losses totalling HK$1.6 billion, the police have said. Police said on Friday that, while investment scams accounted for only one-tenth of the 20,613 deception cases recorded in the first half of the year, they made up nearly half of […]

London has confirmed that it will not deport former Hong Kong lawmaker Wu Chi-wai after the democrat experienced entry hiccups when travelling to the UK on his British National Overseas (BNO) passport. UK Minister for Migration and Citizenship Jo White said in a letter to former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten on Thursday that the […]

The average waiting time for Hong Kong public rental housing has increased slightly to 4.8 years by the end of June, the government has announced. The Housing Bureau said on Thursday that the latest composite waiting time for public rental housing, which reflected the average wait in the 12 months up to this June, was […]

Overseas hackers used artificial intelligence agents to help carry out a wave of cyberattacks targeting Taiwanese government agencies in July, the island’s digital affairs ministry said Thursday. Taiwan has previously blamed Chinese hackers for carrying out most of the millions of cyberattacks affecting the island democracy on a daily basis, but did not identify a […]

A Hong Kong court has ordered a retrial of a man accused of murdering a taxi driver in 2021 after the jury failed to reach a majority verdict. Matthew Choi, 36, had pleaded not guilty to one count of murder. He was arrested on Lamma Island in October 2021 after a night-shift taxi driver was stabbed […]

Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji, whose market reforms helped drive China’s extraordinary economic rise, has died from illness at the age of 98, state media reported Wednesday. “Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji died of illness at the age of 98 in Beijing at 11:06 a.m. Wednesday,” Xinhua news agency reported. Breaking news – refresh for […]