The Inland Revenue Department on Thursday said it expects a 12 percent increase in the amount of tax it collects this year, following a drop last year. Provisional figures show the department collected HK$342 billion in the last tax year, which was HK$18.2 billion or about five percent lower than in 2022-23. But it said it expects tax revenue to ri…

Environment minister Tse Chin-wan on Thursday said the pay-as-you-throw trial would continue this month as planned, despite feedback that cleaners and participants are having a hard time with the scheme. The government selected 14 buildings and premises to test the waste-charging scheme, which began last month, with participants using designated ga…

Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung on Thursday criticised the Consumer Council over a data breach last year, saying the watchdog contravened the Personal Data Ordinance with its deficiencies. An attack by hackers resulted in the leak of personal data on more than 450 individuals, including staff members and people who filed complaints with the council.…

The executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, Timothy Chui, on Thursday said tourist figures for the first day of the mainland's Golden Week holiday were in line with expectations. The Immigration Department said arrivals in the SAR exceeded 460,000 on May 1, including around 180,000 from the mainland. Some tourists complained on soc…

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Wednesday his country will sever diplomatic ties with Israel, whose leader he described as "genocidal" over its war in Gaza. "Tomorrow (Thursday) diplomatic relations with the state of Israel will be severed... for having a genocidal president," Petro, a harsh critic of the war against Hamas, told a May Day…

Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk on Wednesday said a trial has shown that there are still many problems with the government's long-delayed waste charging programme. The pay-as-you-throw scheme was tested at 14 locations from last month, covering homes, shops and restaurants, but only about half of the households participated by using designated …

The Tourism Board on Wednesday said an 8pm pyrotechnic display over Victoria Harbour will go ahead as planned. The show had been in doubt because of inclement weather, but the board says forecasts show it's fine to go ahead, warning people attending to bring rain gear and check the conditions. It's good news for tourists in town for the Labour Day …

The chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) on Wednesday said authorities should give more weight to the growth of the SAR's economy in a new formula for calculating the minimum wage. The Executive Council on Tuesday approved recommendations to review the minimum wage every year instead of every two years, and under the new mechanism, the …

Scores of movie lovers on Tuesday bade farewell to President Cinema in Causeway Bay, bringing the curtain down on almost six decades of showing films. Its operator, Newport Circuit, had announced last week that the theatre on Jaffe Road was closing after Tuesday, though it did not say why. Still, Newport Circuit thanked customers for their support …

Six spot bitcoin and ether exchange traded funds (ETFs) gained in their Hong Kong debut on Tuesday. The launch of Asia's first cryptocurrency-based ETFs comes three months after a similar move in the United States. Unlike in the US, however, crypto enthusiasts in Hong Kong can also invest by swapping their own tokens, as well as buying with cash. A…

Scholars on Tuesday called on the government to offer more support for people who look after children or elderly relatives while living in subdivided housing. In a survey conducted by Lingnan University and Chinese University, 95 percent of the 315 caregivers surveyed, who live in subdivided homes, were found to be stressed out, while 20.5 percent …

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said there's plenty for tourists to do in Hong Kong during the Labour Day Golden Week holiday, even if Wednesday night's pyrotechnic display might be cancelled due to weather. Authorities had warned that the 10-minute show at Victoria Harbour on May 1 could be called off if rain and thunderstorms happen as predic…

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said people are getting to grips with a ban on single-use plastic utensils, a week after it took effect. Speaking ahead of the weekly Exco meeting, he said there are signs of people steadily changing their habits, citing a media report that said two-thirds of people are no longer taking plastic utensils in restau…

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday it was "not too late" for Ukraine to win the war, agreeing with President Volodymyr Zelensky that Kyiv needs more weapons, while Russian forces advance. Stoltenberg was in Ukraine when Russia claimed the capture of two eastern villages in 24 hours, rushing an advance in the Donetsk region before crucial US…