A top adviser to Hong Kong has called for the local government to aim for the space economy as the city’s answer to stimulating high-quality economic growth, while seeking to host top-tier international events such as the Apec finance ministers’ meeting to enhance global ties and boost local consumption. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the key decision-making Executive Council and chairwoman of the New People’s Party, also proposed a HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) fund on Wednesday to support...

The Hong Kong government has proposed a system to recognise same-sex partnerships in accordance with a landmark court ruling two years ago and grant them some rights, but couples will first need to have their relationship registered outside the city. LGBTQ activists and a legal expert said on Wednesday the new framework did not go far enough, pointing to a lack of clarity on what rights would be granted and the requirement that relationships first be recognised overseas. In a paper submitted to...

A Hong Kong court has handed down jail sentences of up to 16 years to two men for sexually exploiting two girls when the defendants separately had a relationship with the victims’ mother six to eight years ago. The High Court on Wednesday also sentenced the mother to four years for child cruelty, including locking the girls in a pitch-black bathroom for hours, and hindering a police investigation after the crimes came to light in April 2023. The two male defendants, former computer technician...

Hong Kong’s South Lantau ecotourism plans could be reduced to property projects that threaten the environment if authorities fail to set clear guidelines, green groups and academics have warned ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for developers to express their interest. Greenpeace, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, seven other groups and an academic also said on Wednesday that the government’s approach, which includes allowing developers to propose ecotourism projects with residential...

The number of direct investigations led by Hong Kong’s ombudsman has dropped by nearly 60 per cent, reaching the lowest level in five years, as his office increasingly relied on mediation to “foster harmony” when handling complaints. A comparison of the latest annual report from Ombudsman Jack Chan Jick-chi on Wednesday with past versions also found that a section on cases related to government information requests had been removed for the first time, while a chapter on “promoting a positive...

The written test for aspiring taxi drivers in Hong Kong will be made significantly easier by reducing and simplifying questions about locations and routes in an effort to ease the government’s severe hiring difficulties for its premium taxi scheme, with half its vehicles lacking sufficient drivers. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan told the Legislative Council on Wednesday that the Transport Department was undergoing a comprehensive review of the written test, with changes to be...

Hong Kong’s retail sales in May jumped by 2.4 per cent year on year, reversing a 14-month contraction, with the uptick boosted by a surge in visitors during mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” holiday. Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Wednesday showed total retail sales in May reached HK$31.3 billion (US$3.9 billion). The figure represents the first time sales have grown since February 2024, when the city recorded an increase of 1.9 per cent year on...