Helpers, employers voice concerns over Hong Kong plan to import carers in 2027

South China Morning Post - Oct 4, 2026

A pilot scheme to import hundreds of foreign domestic carers from next year to look after elderly Hongkongers has sparked concern among both helpers and employers after the city’s labour minister revealed further details, including the salary level. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Sunday that the carers would be equipped with both specialised elderly care skills and general domestic capabilities, and would first need to complete a 150-hour course in their home...

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Beijing fights invasive moths with parasitic wasps and caterpillar-catching contests

Beijing fights invasive moths with parasitic wasps and caterpillar-catching contests

Authorities in the Chinese capital are releasing more than a billion parasitic wasps and encouraging caterpillar-catching competitions to try to contain the spread of the invasive North American fall webworm. The caterpillars have blanketed trees in Beijing and surrounding areas this summer, spinning clouds of greyish-white webs as they eat their way through foliage. The insects are the fuzzy larval stage of Hyphantria cunea and metamorphose into adult white moths. While not harmful to humans,...

Hong Kong should review reducing number of Legco seats to cut costs, Rita Fan says

Hong Kong should review reducing number of Legco seats to cut costs, Rita Fan says

Hong Kong’s first Legislative Council president following the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 has suggested reviewing the number of seats in Legco, citing the need to use public funds properly. Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai also said on Sunday that Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities had discussed the development of a plot at the two cities’ border before the 1997 handover, but the plan failed because of opposition within the government. Fan made the remarks during an appearance on a radio...

Taipei’s dilemma over history deepens with Xi-Trump praise of WWII Flying Tigers

Taipei’s dilemma over history deepens with Xi-Trump praise of WWII Flying Tigers

Taipei’s dilemma over its history during World War II appeared to deepen as Beijing and Washington looked to the Flying Tigers as a source of connection and goodwill during last month’s Xi–Trump summit. US President Donald Trump’s description of China as an American ally during the war has raised concerns in Taiwan that what could have been a valuable historical connection with the United States ended up benefiting Beijing’s ties with Washington. The dilemma resurfaced after Trump and Chinese...

66% of Hong Kong’s 8-year-olds could be short-sighted by 2028, experts warn

66% of Hong Kong’s 8-year-olds could be short-sighted by 2028, experts warn

Two-thirds of Hong Kong’s eight-year-olds could be short-sighted by 2028, optometrists have predicted, citing a shrinking “hyperopic reserve” that normally helps delay nearsightedness. The Hong Kong Association of Private Practice Optometrists released the findings on Sunday from a screening of more than 3,500 pupils at eight primary schools conducted between November and May, urging parents to begin comprehensive eye checks when children turned three. The association found that 67 per cent of...

China’s hospital ships project a different kind of naval power in Africa

China’s hospital ships project a different kind of naval power in Africa

When the Auspicious Ark entered Dakar, Senegal, on September 25, the scene looked closer to a public health mission than a naval deployment. Senegalese people and members of the Chinese community were waiting at the port as the vessel arrived for the first visit by a Chinese naval hospital ship to Senegal. The Auspicious Ark is a PLA Navy vessel. That places the visit within a wider Chinese maritime presence in Africa, something more often associated with anti-piracy patrols, port calls,...

China lashes out at Xinjiang ‘lie’ after US lawmaker urges Starbucks to close new stores

China lashes out at Xinjiang ‘lie’ after US lawmaker urges Starbucks to close new stores

Beijing has hit back at a US lawmaker’s criticism of coffee chain Starbucks for opening its first stores in Xinjiang, rejecting the allegation that China has committed human rights abuses against the far-western region’s mostly Muslim Uygur population. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Saturday said claims of “genocide” in Xinjiang were a “blatant lie” and accused the “US group” who raised the suggestions of attacking Beijing for political purposes. “Today’s Xinjiang enjoys social...

Flight to Okinawa diverts back to Hong Kong after suspected landing gear fault

Flight to Okinawa diverts back to Hong Kong after suspected landing gear fault

A flight bound for Okinawa returned to Hong Kong airport on Sunday morning after its landing gear was suspected to have failed to fully retract after take-off. Hong Kong Airlines said the crew of flight HX676, which departed at 8.57am, decided to return to ensure safety, in line with standard procedures. “[The flight] encountered a suspected incomplete landing gear retraction issue after take-off,” the airline said. The aircraft landed safely at 10am, with no injuries reported on board. The...

Hong Kong’s IPO haul more than doubles to HK$388b in first 9 months: Paul Chan

Hong Kong’s IPO haul more than doubles to HK$388b in first 9 months: Paul Chan

Funds raised through initial public offerings in Hong Kong more than doubled year on year to over HK$388 billion (US$49.4 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, already surpassing the total amount for the whole of last year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has said. Adding to the positive outlook, Clara Chan Ka-chai, CEO of the government-owned Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), noted on Sunday that more than 30 of its portfolio firms were preparing to apply for Hong Kong listings...

New Mong Kok bookshop opens amid harsh winter for indie outlets in Hong Kong

New Mong Kok bookshop opens amid harsh winter for indie outlets in Hong Kong

Small independent bookstores tucked away in walk-up tenement buildings above neon-lit streets have long made Mong Kok a sanctuary for Hong Kong book lovers, until recently when one after another was forced to close due to economic headwinds or political uncertainty. Defying the trend, 41-year-old bibliophile Grace Lau invested a six-figure sum to launch New Year Bookshop, a move driven by passion and lower rents that some in the community regarded as a bold gamble on the neighbourhood’s literary...

New AI laws should target data governance, safety to build public confidence: experts

New AI laws should target data governance, safety to build public confidence: experts

Hong Kong should enact laws on data governance and underlying safety standards to ensure the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), experts have said, as the government pledged to tackle disputes or crimes involving the technology’s application with tailored legislation. They also said that legislation was needed to define liability boundaries, which could bolster business and public confidence in expanding its adoption. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in his recent policy...

Mars shelter problem can be solved with engineered yeast, gelatin and sand: paper

Mars shelter problem can be solved with engineered yeast, gelatin and sand: paper

Future settlers on Mars would need houses, but they must either spend huge sums transporting construction materials from Earth or use enormous amounts of energy to melt Martian soil into bricks. Scientists in Hong Kong say they have developed a quick and low-cost “living” building material made from genetically engineered yeast, gelatin and sand that can be 3D printed under conditions simulating the Martian environment. Their study, published online last month in Chem Circularity, an...

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