Social and Emotional Counsellor

Hongkongers to pay only HK$240 a year for leukaemia drug after system shake-up

More than 400 cancer patients are set to benefit from Hong Kong health authorities’ decision to subsidise a leukaemia drug, and will go from paying up to HK$500,000 (US$63,800) a year for treatment to forking out just…

Beijing to play ‘greater role’ in ending Mideast fighting, Chinese FM says

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing would play a “greater role” in ending hostilities in the Middle East during talks with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday, a week before US President Donald Trump is due…

What does an improved Hong Kong property outlook mean for land sales?

The competition could intensify at tenders for Hong Kong’s residential plots as developers replenish their land banks amid a recovering property market, with the tug of war testing their financial discipline as they bid…

Hong Kong to ban new EVs with only electronic door handles

Hong Kong is set to ban electric vehicles equipped solely with electronic door handles, as authorities seek to align with mainland China’s decision to mandate physical manual releases on all new cars from 2027 to…

Hong Kong retail sales jump 12.8% in March on back of higher car sales

Hong Kong’s retail sales jumped by 12.8 per cent in March, bringing first-quarter growth to 9.8 per cent, driven by a spurt in sales of electric cars ahead of the withdrawal of tax breaks. Provisional figures released…

Airport Authority reports ‘less than’ 5% cancellations despite Middle East war

Fewer than 5 per cent of Hong Kong flights have been cancelled in May and June combined, and about 1 per cent during the peak July travel period, the Airport Authority has said, despite a global fuel crisis triggered by…

All 90 Hong Kong lawmakers to visit Beijing for first time since 1997 handover

Hong Kong’s legislature is set to visit Beijing as a full body for the first time since the city’s handover to Chinese rule in 1997, with all 90 lawmakers expected to join the delegation as it seeks better alignment…

Tai Po fire survivors petition for homeowners’ meeting after collecting 247 handwritten signatures

A group of Tai Po fire survivors have petitioned their housing estate’s administrator to hold a general meeting with homeowners to discuss long-term resettlement and related financial matters after collecting 247…

Hong Kong school to seek feedback, review phone ban after student outcry

A Hong Kong secondary school facing student backlash over newly tightened mobile phone rules has said it will seek further feedback from stakeholders and review the policy’s scope and implementation. A source also told…

Rubio warns against ‘destabilizing’ acts on Taiwan before Trump’s China visit

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Tuesday against any “destabilizing” actions on Taiwan before a trip to China by President Donald Trump and called on Beijing also to raise pressure on Iran. US President Donald…

7 arrested for alleged corruption in building maintenance projects

Hong Kong’s anti-graft watchdog has arrested seven people for alleged corruption in building maintenance projects, including the owner of a contractor firm who concealed his control over a company tasked with overseeing…

Hong Kong Legco issues warning to lawmaker Judy Chan over traffic offence

Hong Kong’s legislature has issued a written warning to lawmaker Judy Chan Kapui for driving on the wrong side of the road, urging her to be mindful of her conduct and meet the public’s expectations. The official…

Tai Po fire probe: Housing Bureau’s checking unit failed to follow up on safety issues

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. All eyes are on the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU), whose…

‘May can give a false sense of safety,’ expert warns after Hong Kong hiker dies in Japan

Hikers should not underestimate the risks of climbing in Japan during the volatile spring transition in May, a mountaineering expert has warned after two Hong Kong men became stranded in the Northern Alps, one of whom…

Will Hong Kong’s clamp on lending wean helpers off debt – and save their dreams?

Anna, a domestic helper from the Philippines, had managed her finances well until she took out two loans over the past few months for a friend she described as being “like a mother to me”. The 37-year-old, who asked to…

Trans alum sues former secondary school over ‘discriminatory’ hair policies

A transgender alum has sued her former secondary school over “discriminatory” policies that barred her from having long hair. Lung Kung World Federation School Limited (LKWFSL) Lau Wong Fat Secondary School in Tai Kok…

Residents passed from pillar to post as warnings before fatal Hong Kong fire went unheeded

How China-Gulf ties can turn energy vulnerability into sustainability

For decades, the Strait of Hormuz has been a narrow passage with a big footprint. Whenever it comes under tension, the world is reminded that energy security is less a policy construct than an everyday reality for…

Fire services to be ‘gatekeepers’ for safety, Hong Kong security chief vows

Hong Kong’s security chief has reaffirmed that fire services will act as the gatekeeper for safety after a legal vacuum was exposed during an inquiry into the city’s deadliest fire in decades, stressing the department’s…

Will Hong Kong’s claw machine regulations curb gaming habits and gambling risks?

After years of debate over whether claw and pinball machines encourage high-stakes gambling, Hong Kong has finally proposed stricter oversight to curb gaming, particularly among teenagers. Cases of addiction linked to…