A merchants’ association has slammed a proposal to relocate Hong Kong’s main fruit market as part of a blueprint to overhaul two old, densely built districts, saying vendors have not been properly consulted about the plan.Cheung Chi-cheong, vice-chairman of the Kowloon Fruit and Vegetable Merchants Association, told the Post that vendors only found out about the proposal when the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) submitted a paper to the Legislative Council last Friday on revitalising parts of Yau…

At least 25 Hong Kong pubgoers have been robbed of more than HK$1.9 million (US$243,600) in cash and valuables this year after falling prey to women targeting drunken expats in Wan Chai nightspots, according to police.About half of the men had their credit cards stolen while they were drinking in the bar district near Luard Road, according to Inspector Chan King-lok of the Wan Chai district intelligence section.“These thieves used their cards to spend at nearby bars or buy point cards for…

A former food delivery worker charged over chanting protest slogans had maintained that calling for Hong Kong’s independence was a constitutional right, a court heard as the second trial over national security law offences began on Tuesday.Adam Ma Chun-man is accused of inciting secession in connection with 20 incidents over a span of 3½ months last year. The 31-year-old had called himself a second-generation Captain America, in reference to a prominent protester who dressed as the fictional…

Hong Kong will release another 200 rooms at an official quarantine centre for inbound foreign domestic helpers, but employment agencies have slammed the move as woefully inadequate for easing the city’s shortage of the workers.The new slots at the Penny’s Bay facility – available to book from Monday – still leave Hong Kong several months away from clearing the backlog of domestic workers waiting to enter the city, according to an employers’ union.All 800 rooms at the government-run centre on…

A 10-year-old Hong Kong boy born with a rare and incurable genetic disorder has successfully undergone high-risk spinal surgery intended to slow the deterioration of his health.Marcus Ng Pak-lam has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which causes his muscles to gradually weaken and waste away. He completed an eight-hour procedure at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam on Monday to correct scoliosis – a condition where the spine twists and curves resulting in a reduction in lung volume.“The surgery…

A leading environmental group has called on Hong Kong authorities to increase their protection of ecologically sensitive habitats in South Lantau after a survey of the area identified five spots threatened by human activities.A WWF-Hong Kong analysis of 47 watersheds – places where run-off collects in rivers and drains into a reservoir or bay – found nearly 37 per cent of the non-country park areas of Pui O, a popular recreational spot along the South Lantau coast, to be at risk from the likes…

Hong Kong police have rounded up at least 17 suspected triad members in a citywide crackdown on maritime smuggling after two gangsters rammed their speedboat into a marine interceptor, killing a senior inspector and injuring three officers.The arrests since Monday followed police chief Raymond Siu Chak-yee’s pledge to spare no effort in pursuing the “cold-blooded” culprits responsible for Saturday’s fatal collision during a high-speed pursuit in Hong Kong waters, as well as those engaged in the…