World News by Wild Rose

The Hong Kong Pride Parade committee has cancelled an indoor event at Central Market next month after being told the venue is unavailable due to an “administrative error”. In a social media post on Thursday, the committee said its Rainbow Market, scheduled for November 14 at the revamped landmark, had been cancelled because the venue “could no longer host it”. The group said it approached Central Market, which is managed by Chinachem Group, in early June, confirmed the booking and paid a deposit...

Hong Kong police have arrested a suspect in less than 24 hours after he allegedly stole a gold necklace worth nearly HK$80,000 (US$10,193) from a Chow Sang Sang jewellery store in Tai Po, the South China Morning Post has learned. The suspect was tracked down in the same district on Thursday afternoon, but the stolen jewellery has not been recovered, a source said. The unemployed man, in his forties, entered the store on Kwong Fuk Road at about 3.10pm on Wednesday. The suspect, believed to be...

Three Hong Kong taxi drivers have been disqualified from driving cabs for three months after accumulating 15 demerit points or more under a penalty system in place for two years, the transport chief has said, disclosing such figures for the first time. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Wednesday that since the mechanism took effect in September 2024, 229 taxi drivers had incurred demerit points as of October 2, with 125 cases involving a refusal to accept a hire. In a...

Complaints about noisy and inconsiderate passengers on Hong Kong’s public transport have more than doubled over three years, with authorities recording a surge in reports of people playing loud music and putting their feet on seats. The Transport Department and Environmental Protection Department received 66 complaints about noise nuisance and improper or unhygienic behaviour in 2025, up from 31 in 2023, according to figures released by the government on Wednesday. “[Passengers] should be...

The former father-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung called her a “birthing machine” and tried to assault her before he allegedly plotted with his two sons to kill her three years ago, a court has heard. Choi’s partner, Chris Tam Fong-chun, recounted on Tuesday a bitter argument between the influencer and her former in-laws in what he said was a watershed moment leading to a breakdown in the relationship in mid-2022. Choi was previously married to Alex Kwong Kong-chi, 31, who...

Hong Kong schools should not require students with special educational needs or severe mental illness to repeat a grade, under revised education authorities’ guidance that warns the practice could worsen their adjustment difficulties. The latest version of the Education Bureau’s School Administration Guide requires subsidised schools considering grade retention for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) to consult parents through a team of professionals, including an educational...

The mother of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung has denied in court that she was repeatedly in debt because of gambling, calling her former son-in-law’s claim that he had financially supported her “a pack of lies”. Cheung Yin-fa accused Alex Kwong Kong-chi on Monday of acting unscrupulously by demanding the return of HK$150,000 (US$19,113) in shopping expenses she owed him, while failing to repay any of the more than HK$70 million he had received from Choi for investment. Testifying...

A grassroots singer in China rose to fame after standing in for Hong Kong singer Hacken Lee, giving an impromptu two-hour set after Lee was delayed. On the evening of September 26, the touring concert Hear Yourself, featuring six acclaimed singers from Hong Kong and Taiwan, was held in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, in northern China, Shenzhen TV reported. Lee was scheduled to give the grand finale performance. But he did not arrive in time because his flight, originally bound for the nearby city of...

Guangdong-registered yachts will be allowed to sail into Hong Kong waters from next Friday under a new travel scheme, the city’s transport minister has confirmed. Writing in her weekly blog on Saturday, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said the maiden voyage ceremony for the Southbound Yacht Travel Scheme would be held on launch day. “Building on the groundwork laid by the Northbound Yacht Travel Scheme, the maiden voyage ceremony for the Southbound Yacht Travel Scheme marks a...

Hong Kong’s competition watchdog has raided 11 offices and homes over alleged bid-rigging for contracts to supply virtual reality (VR) systems to schools and non-profit organisations, with the deals valued at HK$10 million. The Competition Commission revealed on Friday that it had secured warrants and searched the 11 premises, including those of several IT service and equipment providers, other firms and the residences of several suspects, in an operation the day before codenamed “Lens”. The...

The revamped Huanggang border crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen will open on Monday, after both sides confirmed the facility was ready for service. The Hong Kong government said on Friday that the new Huanggang border crossing would commence operations at 6.30am, October 12, replacing the current Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang port as the sole round-the-clock clearance point. “Acceptance inspection of the new port building of the Huanggang Port has been completed. Following the completion of a...

Psychological abuse can be hard to detect, Hong Kong welfare experts have warned, urging social workers and teachers to look for subtle changes in children’s behaviour amid outrage over a viral video showing a girl carrying heavy bags of beer as her stepfather called her “useless”. Welfare groups said on Thursday that emotional and verbal abuse were among the most common yet least recognised forms of child abuse. Signs often emerged through changes such as social withdrawal and anxiety, they...

The mother of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung has told a court that her daughter’s former brother-in-law was a “bootlicker” who coaxed her into funding an egg waffle shop and hiring him as a driver months before her death. Choi’s mother, Cheung Yin-fa, said on Wednesday that Anthony Kwong Kong-kit had frequently sought financial support from her daughter before he allegedly joined his father and younger brother in a plot to murder her in February 2023. “It is during the time when we...

More than 1,500 Hong Kong residents toured the revamped Huanggang Port border crossing on Sunday as authorities pushed ahead with preparations for its opening. A Security Bureau spokesman said that participants took franchised buses or cross-boundary coaches from various districts to reach the crossing and were shown the new port building in groups. “The event effectively enhanced participants’ understanding of the public transport arrangements, immigration and customs clearance and...

The Hong Kong Observatory has issued an amber rainstorm warning, with the signal expected to remain in place until 10pm on Sunday. The weather forecaster issued the warning at 8.20pm. “A few squally thunderstorms are expected to occur over Hong Kong,” a spokesman for the Observatory said. Showers would be heavy at times in the evening. The forecaster also warned that intense gusts reaching 70km/h (43mph) could affect the city. It said there would be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained...

Singapore is doing something about uncivilised behaviour on public buses. The city state has started enforcing new regulations that carry an immediate fine of up to S$500 (US$390) if you put your feet up on seats, play loud audio on your phone or make a nuisance of yourself in other ways such as eating, drinking and littering. This aligns with existing rules governing passenger conduct on Singapore’s MRT railway system. Did you know we have long had similar regulations for Hong Kong’s MTR...

Not long after he entered secondary school, Hong Kong youth Jason* was bullied by an older student with triad links. He was relieved when another senior stepped in to protect him. He helped Jason take revenge on the bully, then recruited him into a syndicate. Without undergoing any initiation ritual, Jason paid his protector a red packet to become an informal triad member. Later on, he discovered that the two seniors belonged to the same gang but took orders from different bosses. At first,...

Hongkongers and tourists have packed promenades on both sides of Victoria Harbour hours before Thursday’s National Day fireworks, braving the scorching heat. By mid-afternoon, photography enthusiasts, tourists and residents had claimed spots along the harbour, settling in for the hours-long wait with umbrellas, folding chairs and picnic mats. Authorities expected the 23-minute extravaganza to draw 260,000 people. With the sun beating down, revellers braved the heat to secure the best views of...

Hongkongers flocked across the border on National Day for grocery shopping, massages and the chance to buy giant 60cm-long egg tarts, citing lower prices and a wider variety of leisure activities. Immigration figures showed that about 69,000 residents had left Hong Kong by 10am on Thursday, while the city had already welcomed about 74,000 mainland Chinese visitors. At the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point, crowds of Hongkongers gathered in the morning to head north, while mainland visitors...

Hong Kong is set to welcome 1.29 million mainland Chinese visitors over the National Day “golden week” break, fuelling questions online about what locals and tourists can do during the celebrations. On popular mainland social media platform RedNote, many users have recommended a range of activities, such as visiting the countryside, exploring the Unesco Global Geopark in Sai Kung, cycling and watching fireworks. To help tourists and locals alike, the South China Morning Post shares some of the...

Hong Kong immigration authorities are cracking down on tourists abusing their visas to run unlicensed one-stop shops offering cosmetic, photography and tour guide services. Li Kwing-chiu, a task force commander with the Immigration Department, revealed on Monday that the four women, aged 20 to 31, were arrested for allegedly breaching their conditions of stay by running a one-stop shop that charged several hundred Hong Kong dollars a day for various services. The suspects entered the city on...

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. What Trump and Xi revealed in the body language with their wives 2. Australia just changed its visa rules. So what about its bespoke Hong Kong pathway? 3. Thailand has had enough of foreign tourists behaving badly 4. Why US chip controls took a back seat at the Xi-Trump summit 5. Chinese...

A government-hosted Mid-Autumn Festival light show at a nullah in Hong Kong has sparked widespread online criticism, with revellers complaining of foul smells and poor execution. Social media was awash with criticism on Saturday, just hours after the opening night of the two-day “Yuen Long Flood Barrier and Nullah Improvement Scheme – Mid-Autumn Light Show” organised by the Drainage Services Department. The event was billed as an inaugural initiative to transform the Yuen Long Nullah into a...

When Dyan Agonoy left the Philippines to work as a domestic helper in Hong Kong, she had to leave her family behind. “I’ve missed a lot of my kids’ milestones, our special occasions. I’m always the only one missing from the pictures,” she said. Agonoy left university, married young and started a family. Without the bachelor’s degree required for many jobs, she took up domestic work abroad. Gelanie Aguilario faced a similar plight. She twice tried to earn a bachelor’s degree – first in political...

Hong Kong’s health minister has rejected claims that authorities favour mainland nurses over local candidates, saying locally trained professionals have “very good chances” of finding work even as public hospitals struggle to recruit. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said on Friday that the Hospital Authority had hired 95 per cent of local applicants for nursing positions over the past year. The figure rose to 99 per cent among applicants with registered nurse qualifications. He said that more...

Former Hong Kong television actress Leila Tong Ning has been sued for allegedly breaching her management contract by abandoning her professional duties while suffering from depression and dyeing her hair without her agency’s consent. The High Court writ, filed by agency Tenjinmura Ongaku Limited, also accuses the 44-year-old former Television Broadcasts (TVB) artist of “coercive conduct” and accepting commercial engagements without the company’s approval after their relationship broke down in...

Hong Kong authorities have charged an animal welfare activist after a stray dog captured during an investigation into a suspected fatal canine attack on a cyclist in Yuen Long was found to have a microchip registered in his name. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and police have been conducting operations to capture stray dogs in the area following the suspected attack on Sunday. Police suspect a pack of dogs attacked a 27-year-old woman, who was found unconscious beside a...

Child abuse can impair victims’ development and increase their risk of long-term health problems such as obesity and heightened inflammatory responses, a Hong Kong NGO has said, calling for a tiered prevention strategy to strengthen protections. Against Child Abuse on Wednesday shared the results of an overview of local studies from recent years on the effects of abuse on children, while calling for more resources and enhanced measures to safeguard youngsters. One cited study, published in 2024,...

Hong Kong police have found no foreign or toxic substances in a brand of bottled drink linked to the illness of 16 students from a secondary school in Kwun Tong, saying the reported “pinholes” are likely to be perforated lines in the plastic wrapping. The update came a day after 16 students from Maryknoll Secondary School reported feeling unwell after drinking free bottles of “Scream” sports drink during lunch at Tuesday’s athletics meet at Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground in Wong Tai Sin. The...

The death of a cyclist in a suspected canine attack in Hong Kong’s Yuen Long on Saturday night has sparked fierce discussion on social media, with users sharing similar encounters and debating how to stay safe. The woman was discovered along Pok Wai South Road in the early hours of Sunday. She had suffered lacerations to her head, face, neck, arms and legs, with the wounds to her head and neck believed to have been fatal. Nearly a month earlier, a 33-year-old dog handler was found dead near her...