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Hong Kong proposes 2% pay rise for civil servants amid geopolitical uncertainty

Hong Kong’s top decision-making body has proposed a flat 2 per cent pay rise for civil servants across all salary bands this year, lower than the suggested rates for middle-tier and senior government staff. Secretary for Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said on Tuesday that the chief executive and the Executive Council (ExCo) made the offer, […]

UN report exposes brutal reality for Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank

Palestinian civilians are caught between “mass atrocities” of Israeli forces, settlers and Hamas’ brutal rule, a UN-mandated inquiry said on Tuesday. Civilians across war-ravaged Gaza and the occupied West Bank are being “systematically and deliberately” subjected to severe rights violations, the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry said. The investigative team, which last year concluded that Israel had committed “genocide” in the war in Gaza, highlighted in a new report that...

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Mindanao quake exposes Philippines’ vulnerability to ‘Big One’ tremor in Metro Manila

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck southern Mindanao on Monday morning served as a stark reminder of the Philippines’ vulnerability to a major quake in Metro Manila, disaster experts said. The tremor, which triggered tsunami warnings along the southern coast, left collapsed buildings, damaged homes and debris-strewn streets in its wake. At least 19 people were killed and more than 130 injured, with scores still missing, local disaster authorities said. For disaster planners, the...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

Docs face disciplinary action over unauthorised X-ray

Caritas Medical Centre on Monday said it is launching an investigation into an incident in which a trainee doctor used medical equipment to conduct an X-ray of her knee without authorisation. The investigation was launched after the trainee doctor posted images of the X-ray on her own social media account, reportedly describing the act as a "perk" of being an intern doctor. In a statement, the Hospital Authority said preliminary investigations by the centre found the trainee doctor had committed the act and that the incident was "inappropriate". The centre confirmed that the X-ray was taken in a room while strict radiation-protection controls, including warning lights and notices, were in place. It said monitoring systems showed that all areas remained within safety standards and that patient services had not been affected. The authority said it would take disciplinary action against the intern as well as a resident doctor in accordance with protocols. The resident doctor, who holds a valid radiation equipment operating licence, was found to have helped carry out the X-ray on the trainee doctor, according to authorities. The authority said the issue would be "seriously" followed up as it attaches great importance to the professional ethics of medical staff. It also reiterated that medical equipment is strictly reserved for authorised clinical purposes and that all staff are prohibited from using hospital instruments for personal reasons at any time. It also said that it would "seriously" follow up on reports that the same trainee doctor was suspected to have asked a doctor at another hospital to perform an examination on a patient at Ruttonjee Hospital – when she was interning there. The authority said it had looked into the issue earlier and found that patient services were not affected. It added the trainee had been given a stern warning and would now be closely monitored for the rest of her internship. Edited by Tony Sabine

China grandma, 74, gains online fame for fashion sense, youthful spirit, inspires with confidence

A “girlish grandma” from eastern China is taking the internet by storm with her dazzling white hair, colourful outfits and fearless confidence. Yingzi, 74, from Shanghai, has more than two million online followers and often dances or poses on city streets in heels. Her videos have reportedly racked up over 100 million views at their peak. On her social media, Yingzi shares the secrets behind her youthful figure. She says it starts with “sticking to your style,” choosing clothes that young people...

The problem with Japan’s bid to strengthen energy security, supply chains

What is in effect Japan’s version of the Belt and Road Initiative is being rolled out at an accelerating pace. But unlike China’s global infrastructure initiative, which mainly takes the form of highways, railways and sea lanes, Japan’s project is all about energy networks and supply chains. It poses a further challenge to America’s waning economic and strategic influence in Asia, the world’s most populous, resource-rich and potentially powerful region. What is more, it is a cooperative venture...

China proposes nuclear-powered floating island to reshape global shipping

A Chinese shipbuilder has unveiled a blueprint for a massive, nuclear-powered floating island that will serve as a container transfer terminal and a charging station for vessels. The floating terminal will be powered by advanced molten salt reactors that use liquefied salt as both a fuel and coolant. These reactors can store vast amounts of thermal energy and cool without the need for water. Jiangnan Shipyard, a subsidiary of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation, said the complex...

US farm chief says reliance on China threatens American ‘freedom’

US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told lawmakers on Thursday that American dependence on China for food, fertiliser and other agricultural inputs poses an “existential” threat, framing food security as a national security issue while defending the White House’s reduced fiscal 2027 budget request. “If we need to rely on China for our food and our fertiliser and all the things that come with that, we will lose what we understand to be liberty and freedom in this country. That’s how important...

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US proposes 25% tariff to punish Brazil over trade practices

The Trump administration has proposed a new punitive tariff of 25 per cent on many imports from Brazil, after deciding its practices were unfair on a range of issues from digital trade to illegal deforestation, top trade official Jamieson Greer said late on Monday. The measures, under the Section 301 trade statute, cover areas such as electronic payment services, preferential tariffs, intellectual property protection and ethanol market access as well, the Office of the United States Trade...

Hong Kong Free Press

Hong Kong gov’t proposes 180 transitional housing units for evicted ‘shoebox’ flat tenants

The Hong Kong government has proposed allocating up to 180 “reserve units” of transitional housing to tenants evicted due to the “shoebox” flat reform. Victor Tai, undersecretary for housing, said on Monday that the reserve units would only be provided under “very exceptional circumstances,” such as tenants evicted by landlords of subdivided flats and those […]

Chinese PhD dropout turned whistle-blower exposes data fabrication by renowned scholars

A Chinese PhD dropout who has become a viral influencer exposing academic misconduct is building a growing army of followers eager to reveal ethical malpractice among scientific researchers. The former PhD candidate in bioscience at the prestigious Beihang University, Geng Hongwei, dropped out in 2025, and became a full-time whistle-blower with over two million followers on an online platform. Geng attracted public attention for a video in April, in which he questioned a paper from the team of...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

No management fees' impact seen in fire-safety move

Secretary for Security Chris Tang on Saturday said a proposal to hold property management firms responsible for fire-prevention measures would not have a major impact on the fees that they charge. His comments came as the government proposes, in the wake of the Wang Fuk Court inferno in November, amendments to the Fire Services Ordinance that are currently undergoing a one-month public consultation. Among the changes it is looking at is introducing a responsible persons' regime for the maintenance and inspection of fire services installation and equipment. Under the proposal, property management companies would have the statutory responsibility of arranging for fire alarm system inspections to be carried out at least once every six months and fire drills every year. Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, Tang said such a changeover would not incur high costs. “The cost of carrying out a test of the fire alarm is very low when compared with management fees. The cost is also very low for carrying out a fire drill," he said. "Our new requirement this time does not involve a commitment of new resources, so we believe it should not have a major impact on management fees.” He stressed that if firms are penalised due to violations of these fire-safety codes, they should not pass the cost on to homeowners. The government is also proposing that fire service installation contractors have to renew their licences every five years instead of, as under the existing regime, their registration being permanent. Tang said the move is necessary because the licences of contractors can currently be revoked only if they commit serious violations, making the existing benchmark very high. He also said the police have received 142 reports of suspected thefts so far at the Tai Po estate. “In 48 of the cases – almost 40 percent – we recovered the items immediately," Tang said. "In about 20 percent of the cases, the flats involved were severely damaged, so we and the homeowners believe the items might have been burnt. "In 30 percent of the cases, the residents could not say exactly what [the items] were, so it was hard to follow up. "But in 16 of the cases, we think it could not be determined whether [the items] were stolen or not." He added that officers are actively investigating the cases. Edited by Tony Sabine

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

CUHK Medical Centre loan repayment deal 'a triple win'

The opening up of beds at a private hospital run by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) for use by public healthcare system patients is a triple win, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said on Friday. The move is part of a repayment deal for a loan made by the government for the development of the CUHK Medical Centre in Sha Tin. It will see the centre allocate 120,000 inpatient bed days over a 15-year period till 2037 to repay interest on the HK$4.033 billion building loan, with the principal set to be repaid in full in March next year. Lo, in a Legislative Council health panel meeting, called the deal a triple win as it allows Hospital Authority patients to receive faster treatment as well as enjoy services at the private hospital at public healthcare rates and reduces the financial burden on the university, which is planning to help the centre repay the loan. He told lawmakers the authorities have agreed in principle to allow the centre to repay the loan in full by March, ahead of the 2028 deadline that had been agreed after the centre twice sought repayment extensions. The interest due under the loan is a different matter. Under the original agreement, the HK$4.033 billion loan was interest-free for the first five years starting from March 2017, with the government starting to charge interest at a floating rate since 2022. "Even though CUHK Medical Centre will be repaying the loan [principal] in full, it will not be repaying the interest due during this five-year period [between 2022 and 2027]. It will not repay the interest early," Lo said. "For interest due in the five years between 2022 and 2027, they will [repay] by allocating about 120,000 in-patient bed days [for use by public hospitals]." Lawmaker Chan Pui-leung asked what the government would do if CUHK Medical Centre fails to meet its obligation to allow access to more than 120,000 bed days as that would result in changes having to be made to the 15-year interest repayment plan in 2037. Lo said the centre could make repayments if its financial situation improves but that would depend on the plan it comes up with at the time. University council chairman John Chai told lawmakers that the institution plans to offer a loan to the centre and/or provide a guarantee that allows it to secure bank loans. While the council has yet to make the final decision on the issue, he assured lawmakers that it will not take money away from funds that have been designated for other specific purposes. “Between 2024 and 2025, CUHK recorded solid investment returns, its funds have particularly recorded more desirable growth," Chai said. "Therefore, CUHK is considering using part of those funds that have no designated purpose yet to provide a loan to CUHK Medical Centre." Lo said the university, CUHK Medical Centre and the Hospital Authority would sign a memorandum of understanding to further step up cooperation so as to highlight the centre's role as a non-profit teaching hospital in the city's healthcare system, as well as its role as a bridge connecting both the public and private healthcare sectors. The move will also showcase the centre's commitment to promote sustainable development of healthcare services that offers the public more choices. Edited by Thomas McAlinden

The 4 trilateral frameworks defining northeast Asia’s future

When Washington, Beijing and Moscow begin to treat one another as bargaining partners again, northeast Asia feels the pressure. Taiwan, Korea, sanctions, energy routes, nuclear risks and missile defence are no longer separate theatres. They increasingly belong to one strategic conversation between the US, China and Russia. Northeast Asia itself is already being reorganised through three trilateral structures with different purposes, degrees of institutionalisation and strategic effects. Thus the...

China’s Wang Yi tells UN multilateralism must be protected in swipe at US policies

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi took a swipe at the United States at a press conference at the United Nations on Tuesday as he touted the need to safeguard multilateralism and the UN Charter in times of great instability. “As we have seen for the recent period of time, the purposes of the UN Charter have been disregarded, the basic norms of international relations have been undermined, and world peace and security are in great jeopardy,” Wang said, without mentioning the United States or US...

Why US Typhon deployment in Japan poses a threat to Chinese cities

US deployment of the Typhon missile system to southern Japan could directly threaten China’s coastal cities and block crucial naval routes to the Pacific, a Chinese analyst has warned. The Typhon mid-range missile launcher was expected to be positioned in southwestern Japan next month for joint US-Japan military exercises, Kyodo News reported last week. Fu Qianshao, a Beijing-based military analyst, said the reported deployment site – Kanoya Airbase in Kagoshima prefecture – was alarming because...