The Consumer Council on Thursday warned that the personal data of people who use apps to block spam callers could be at risk because some of these apps pass on the information to third parties. The watchdog investigated five such apps and found that two of them uploaded details from the user’s list of contacts onto their databases. The council foun…

Tentative results of a Pay Trend Survey that would help adjust civil service pay were released on Thursday, but organisers said it would be "premature" for people to presume the administration will adopt their figures. The survey, based on data gathered from more than 110 private firms, points to rises of 4.01 percent for senior civil servants, 4.3…

Some 2,500 policymakers, academics and medical professionals on Thursday gathered at the Convention and Exhibition Centre for a two-day summit on health innovation and investment. The "Asia Summit on Global Health", jointly organised by the government and the Trade Development Council, features a series of thematic sessions on the latest trends in …

President Xi Jinping told Russian President Vladimir Putin that China-Russia relations today have not come easily and should be cherished and cared for by both sides, state media said on Thursday. Xi made the remarks when the two leaders met in Beijing, where he said China will be a good neighbour to Russia. "On this new journey, China will always …

A taxi trade representative on Wednesday said cabbies are expected to earn thousands of dollars more every month when fares go up, but the sector is experiencing high operating costs and a change in passenger habits. From July 14, there will be a HK$2 increase in flagfalls, meaning the starting fares will be HK$29 for urban taxis, HK$25.5 for New T…

Children dressed up as Hong Kong celebrities, star athletes, deities and even government officials on Wednesday as thousands of people flocked to Cheung Chau for the island's annual bun festival. Queues formed from the morning at shops offering buns stamped with peace messages, with sellers pleasantly surprised by the turnout. "We expected that the…

The chairman of the Social Workers Registration Board has stressed that the statutory body reviews every application on a case-by-case basis, after the government suggested the board might have erred in renewing and approving licences from people who had committed serious crimes. On Tuesday, the Executive Council approved a plan to reform the statu…

Thousands of people took part on Tuesday in an annual march through the ruins of villages that Palestinians were expelled from during the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation. Wrapped in keffiyeh scarves and waving Palestinian flags, men and women rallied through the abandoned villages of Al-Kassayer and Al-Husha – many holding signs with the nam…

People are divided over the authorities' move to approve an increase in taxi fares, with some saying the rise is affordable and others complaining about poor taxi services. The Executive Council has approved a HK$2 increase in flagfalls, meaning from July 14, the starting fares will be HK$29 for urban taxis, HK$25.5 for New Territories cabs, and HK…

The Executive Council on Tuesday approved a plan to reform the statutory body overseeing social workers that will change the composition so that appointed members outnumber those elected. Speaking on the revamp, Labour and Welfare Secretary Chris Sun said the sector doesn't need to worry about the autonomy of the Social Workers Registration Board. …

Executive Council convenor Regina Ip on Tuesday said that Hong Kong is well-positioned to promote global collaboration and contribute to world prosperity, as the city kicked off its first-ever conference with a focus on geopolitics. Speaking at the inaugural “Global Prosperity Summit 2024”, Ip warned that Hong Kong faces a “high degree of global ge…

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday warned that any attempt to interfere with the legitimate operations of Hong Kong’s Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) would only end up harming the economies of the countries that take such action. He was speaking after a manager of the government’s ETO in London, Bill Yuen, was arrested with two others on suspici…

Tourists hailing from eight mainland cities will be welcomed with HK$200 vouchers for restaurants and shops, Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday. Last week, the central government added eight new cities, including Urumqi, Hohhot and Heilongjiang to the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS), allowing residents to travel to the SAR without joining a tou…