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A rising tide of plastic waste is choking our oceans, with 20 tonnes entering the sea every hour. Plastic has revolutionised our lives, but for decades experts have warned of the catastrophic consequences our over-reliance on this versatile and cheap material were having on the planet’s fragile ecosystems and biodiversity. An upcoming United Nations-led Global […]

Hong Kong’s new social work licensing body has suspended 11 social workers of their qualifications for up to three years, including eight with convictions related to the protests in 2019. According to the Social Workers Registration Board’s notices published in the South China Morning Post and Sing Tao Daily, the social workers had been convicted […]

Chinese leaders will convene a key political meeting early next month, state media reported Friday, as observers watch for more details on a stimulus plan to support the country’s wavering economy. The world’s second-largest economy has struggled to fully recover from the pandemic, with growth being dragged down by a persistent property crisis, sluggish domestic […]

Hong Kong will not set a “hard deadline” for the second phase of its disposable plastics ban, having learned from the resistance to a proposed waste tax, the city’s minister for the environment has said. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan was speaking in Cantonese on a Commercial Radio program on Friday, after the […]

The Hong Kong government will train community care team members to help raise national security awareness in their respective districts, the city’s home and youth affairs minister has said. The initiative, first mentioned in the 2023 Policy Address, aimed to equip care team members with “basic knowledge” to assist the authorities in promoting national security […]

HKFP is not afraid to ask spicy questions – that’s why we’ve launched a new fundraising hot sauce: HKFP Spicy Questions. 🌶️ All profits go directly to supporting HKFP – the city’s only non-profit, independent English-language news outlet. 

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Friday the island will not cede an inch of its territory, as China maintains military pressure on Taipei to accept its claim of sovereignty. Lai made the remarks during a visit to the Kinmen islands off China for the 75th anniversary of a victory over communist forces in the Battle […]

Hong Kong Free Press has signed up to Oxfam’s Living Wage initiative to ensure fair pay for all staff. Thanks to HKFP Patrons and supporters, our newsroom offers a wage in line with international news outlets, including a health care plan, mental health support and other benefits. We ensure and encourage diversity, inclusion and equal […]

Hong Kong’s development minister has defended a HK$700 million price tag for a planned exhibition hall in Wan Chai to showcase the city’s major infrastructure projects, saying that construction costs will be comparable to other government buildings. Speaking on Commercial Radio on Thursday, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn shrugged off concerns about the price tag […]

Hong Kong’s government has called a small, peaceful demonstration in Australia against a top court judge “despicable,” alleging that it was a case of “blatantly interfering with ongoing criminal proceedings.” Demonstrators had picketed a speech by Australian judge Patrick Keane on Tuesday over his role on Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal. Keane was giving […]

Hong Kong plans to list a short-acting anaesthetic called etomidate as a dangerous drug next year in an attempt to crack down on its emerging use as a recreational drug, also known as “space oil.” In a written response to questions from lawmaker Connie Lam on authorities’ plans to crack down on the use of […]

The 45 democrats convicted in Hong Kong’s largest national security trial after taking part in an unofficial primary election are expected to be sentenced next month. High Court Judge Andrew Chan has tentatively scheduled a sentencing hearing for November 19, according to a document seen by HKFP. Two sources familiar with the matter also said […]

Hong Kong’s labour chief has defended a two-month delay in announcing cases of suspected sexual assault at a care home for the disabled, saying time was needed to ensure the victims were emotionally stable before publicising it. Chris Sun, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, addressed the incident that happened at a care home run […]

By Joy Chiang Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC halted shipments to a customer this month after its semiconductors were sent to China’s Huawei, a Taipei government official told AFP, potentially breaching US sanctions. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is the world’s largest contract manufacturer of chips used in everything from Apple iPhones to Nvidia’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence […]

India and China Wednesday agreed to work towards improving bilateral ties, signalling a potential thaw between the neighbours since clashes between their troops in 2020 over a contested border. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of a BRICS gathering in Russia, the pair’s first formal meeting in […]

Two Hong Kong police officers are seeking to overturn their convictions and prison sentences for perverting the course of justice over an attempt to plant drugs on a homeless man. Pong Chun-sze and Wan Pak-sze filed applications to appeal against their convictions and prison sentences last Friday, a day after they were jailed, according to […]

A man with autism has urged a Hong Kong court to review new expert evidence in an appeal against his conviction for desecrating the Chinese national flag and the city’s flags on National Day. The High Court heard on Thursday that Wong Chun-lok, who was sentenced to a rehabilitation centre in June 2023, had not […]

The Hong Kong Observatory will hoist the T1 storm signal on Thursday night, as Tropical Cyclone Trami closes in. It will assess the need for issuing the Strong Wind Signal, No. 3 on Friday or early on Saturday. “According to the present forecast, Tropical Cyclone Trami will enter within 800 kilometres of Hong Kong tonight […]

Dinosaur fossils believed to date back at least 66 million years have been discovered for the first time in Hong Kong, on a remote island in the northeast of the city. The fossils are believed to have belonged either to a Sauropod, a long-necked dinosaur that walked on four legs, or an Ornithischian – mainly […]

At least two Taiwanese military websites appear to be blocked when accessed via major telecommunications providers in Hong Kong, according to tests carried out by HKFP. The main website for the island’s military, as well as the online home of Taiwan’s navy, appear inaccessible, with browsers returning a message reading “The request is blocked.” HKFP […]

Hong Kong’s national security committee weighed in on a decision made by the city’s correctional authorities to deny a prisoner early release for good conduct in jail under a newly-enacted security law, a court has heard. The High Court on Wednesday heard that the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, which was established under a security […]

Social service groups in Hong Kong are facing human resources and fundraising challenges in the post-pandemic era, a council coordinating local NGOs has said. The shortage of registered social workers and insufficient frontline service support were the two main challenges faced by 141 organisations surveyed earlier this month, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service […]

The former acting chief editor of independent Hong Kong media outlet Stand News is seeking to overturn his conviction for publishing “seditious” materials. Patrick Lam, 36, was last month sentenced alongside former chief editor Chung Pui-kuen, 55, at Wan Chai’s District Court after the pair were found guilty in August of “conspiracy to publish and reproduce […]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold their first bilateral meeting in five years Wednesday, Indian officials said, days after their countries reached a deal on their contested border. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the three-day BRICS gathering hosted by President Vladimir Putin in the Russian […]