~hong-kong-free-pres | Bookmarks (736)

A quarter of over 130 people treated in public hospitals last year for suspected “space oil” consumption were under 18 – the youngest being 11 years old, the Hospital Authority has said. Public hospitals also saw a quick rise in the number of cases with suspected links to space oil, primarily in the 15-20 and […]

By Kelly Macnamara Representatives of nearly 200 countries gather Monday to continue fraught negotiations on the timing and content of the UN’s next blockbuster assessment of global warming science. The meeting in the Chinese city of Hangzhou comes on the heels of the hottest year on record and rising alarm over the pace of warming. […]

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has turned a profit for the first time in nine years, while the number of the park’s visitors has soared by over a million, according to a lawmaker. Lawmaker Michael Tien said in a Facebook post on Sunday that he had met with the park’s management recently to understand Hong Kong […]

The European Union has expressed concern over the “further narrowing” of space for civil society in Hong Kong, citing the city’s Democratic Party’s plan to disband and the suspension of research by an independent pollster. “We are aware of pressure put on the Democratic Party to disband, while the independent polling institute [the Hong Kong […]

Hong Kong is facing its toughest fiscal test in three decades following a painful run of mammoth deficits, with experts urging the government to make careful cuts as the economy wobbles. The Chinese finance hub last saw a string of deficits after the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s — but their scale was […]

Hong Kong and Singapore are the front-runners in a push by Asian governments to become cryptocurrency hubs as they look to capitalise on the global resurgence of the sector thanks to the support of US President Donald Trump. Bitcoin recently hit a record of close to US$110,000 while others have also rallied on the back […]

Chloe knew she was in the wrong place at the wrong time when four police officers approached her last November in Lai Chi Kok. She was dizzy from smoking an e-cigarette containing “space oil,” which she had just ordered via WhatsApp and picked up from her dealer. It was her favourite flavour, pineapple, and she […]

Are Hong Kong hotels becoming less reliable, I wonder. Or have we developed a new variation on “cancel culture”? Firstly, forgive a detour… Readers who have been following these diatribes will probably have noticed occasional references to the Scottish bagpipe, an awkward and troublesome instrument which I took up as a post-retirement hobby. In due […]

A Panama court has agreed to review the concession granted to a Hong Kong-based firm to operate ports on either end of the Panama Canal — the source of US President Donald Trump’s concerns for Chinese influence over the waterway. The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a request filed by a lawyer to nullify […]

Hong Kong’s Democratic Party said on Thursday that it would begin steps to disband, citing the political situation. The city’s largest opposition group, the Democratic Party marked its 30th anniversary last year. It counts some of the city’s most well-known opposition figures among its ranks – including its co-founder Martin Lee, nicknamed the “Father of […]

By Allison Jackson, I-Hwa Cheng and Akio Wang Armed with a slingshot, Taiwanese bounty hunter Wu Cheng-hua bends sideways and aims his lethal weapon up at a green iguana, one of tens of thousands in the crosshairs of a government cull. Taiwan’s iguana population has exploded since the spikey-backed giant lizards were introduced from Central […]

Chinese tech companies shrugged off foreign scrutiny of upstart chatbot maker DeepSeek, telling AFP on Friday they were confident the country’s tech startups would make more gains in the global artificial intelligence race. Hangzhou-based DeepSeek’s R1 chatbot stunned industry insiders and became a hero of China’s AI sector last month with its ability to match […]

Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation (MTRC) has denied allegations that a staff member at Tsuen Wan West MTR Station refused to lend its Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to help a man outside the station. In response to media enquiries, the railway company said that last Saturday, a person approached a station maintenance worker for help after […]

Former Hong Kong opposition lawmaker Albert Ho may plead guilty in the subversion case against the now-disbanded group that was behind the city’s Tiananmen crackdown vigil for three decades, a court has heard. Ho’s lawyer, Erik Shum, told three High Court judges on Friday that the veteran pro-democracy politician intended to change his plea and […]

The Hong Kong government may limit the use of the HK$2 public transport fare for elderly residents and other eligible individuals to eight trips per day, local media have reported. Multiple local media outlets, including Ming Pao, HK01 and Cable News, reported on Friday citing sources that the authorities will amend the fare concession scheme […]

Veteran members of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, which announced on Thursday that it would take initial steps to disband, are split over the decision. Speaking during a Commercial Radio programme on Friday, founding member Fred Li said he was left “with no other choice” but to vote in favour, while former chair Emily Lau said […]

Philippine police arrested more than 450 people in a raid on an allegedly Chinese-run offshore gaming operator in Manila, the country’s anti-organised crime commission has said. Initial interrogations suggested the suburban site had been operating as a scam centre, targeting victims in China and India with sports betting and investment schemes, the commission said after […]

Hong Kong will lower Tai Lam Tunnel’s toll fees for all types of vehicles from May 31, when the government takes over the tunnel that connects the northwestern districts with other urban areas. On Thursday, the Legislative Council approved a range of new toll fees for the tunnel. From May 31, private vehicles will only […]

Hong Kong’s opposition Democratic Party will set up a special task force to discuss steps to disband, party chair Lo Kin-hei has announced, three decades after the political party was established. The three-member task force would handle legal and financial matters relating to the dissolution and liquidation of the pro-democracy party, Lo told reporters on […]

China called on Thursday for the United States to show “mutual respect” in managing commercial tensions after President Donald Trump said a trade deal with Beijing was “possible”. Trump has threatened sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, including China, in the month since he took office. But he suggested on Wednesday that a trade […]

Hong Kong police have intercepted eight drivers on suspicion of using their private vehicles for illegal hire. Six men and two women, aged between 36 and 63, were intercepted on Wednesday by police officers who posed as passengers, the police said. The citywide operation came hours after a taxi union called off a planned strike […]

A student union at a Hong Kong university has cancelled the screening of a Burmese film set in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, citing a last-minute government warning that hosting the event may break the law. The New Asia College Students’ Union (NASU) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) abruptly cancelled the screening of […]

Hundreds of Chinese workers were heading home on Thursday after being returned from online scam centres in Myanmar, as authorities crack down on the illegal operations. Thousands of foreigners are expected to be freed and returned from scam compounds in Myanmar in coming weeks, starting with 600 Chinese nationals over the next three days. The […]

The Hong Kong government has proposed legislative amendments to permanently bar those convicted of national security offences from serving in labour unions and to require all foreign funding to be vetted by the authorities. The changes to the Trade Unions Ordinance were proposed on Wednesday “to better fulfil the duty of safeguarding national security” under […]