SCMP Hong Kong·Sunday, December 21, 2025

SCMP Hong Kong - Sunday, December 21, 2025

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

Top scientists inspire the next generation

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Over two weeks in September, seven leading national-level scientists shared cutting-edge technology and discoveries with 3,800 students from 16 schools and tertiary institutions as well as via a special forum at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. AI, spaceflight, archaeology, new energy and ocean carbon science were just some of the topics under discussion as part of the Masterclass Series organised under the Nurturing Future

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Festive decorations dazzle reckless selfie-takers at Hong Kong’s Peninsula hotel

The festive spirit turned into reckless behaviour on Sunday as throngs of tourists vaulted over safety barriers and dodged traffic to snap photos of Hong Kong’s famed Peninsula hotel, which has been decked out with Christmas decorations. The landmark hotel, traditionally draped in elaborate decorations weeks ahead of Christmas, once again became a magnet for visitors who swamped the pavements of Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui for a clear view of its distinctive facade. When a Post reporter...

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Hong Kong welfare group scraps ban on Tai Po survivors keeping donated appliances

A Hong Kong welfare group has dropped a controversial policy barring displaced Tai Po fire residents in its temporary accommodation from taking in-room appliances and furniture when they move out. SideBySide made the U-turn hours after an outcry from affected residents, who argued that the ban was unreasonable because the items had been donated to them by the community. The ban was applied to the government transitional housing project in Tai Po, Good House, managed by SideBySide. One of the...

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Hong Kong bid-rigging bigwigs paid kickbacks in Shenzhen saunas: construction veteran

Raphael Chan* entered Hong Kong’s construction sector in the mid-1990s convinced that quality building works could improve people’s lives. But he quit more than two decades later, disillusioned by what he called rampant corruption in the industry. The former senior project manager at a consultancy company said he had witnessed how syndicates, often led by triad-linked masterminds, plotted bid-rigging as early as 10 years in advance, bribed key stakeholders and pocketed up to 50 per cent of the..

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Hong Kong to integrate Chinese and Western medicine in pain management, recovery

Traditional Chinese medical practitioners in Hong Kong will work more closely with their Western medicine counterparts in pain management and post-illness recovery, according to the city’s health officials. Chinese medicine is also expected to play a bigger role in primary healthcare, as authorities prepare a list of illnesses for patients who are advised to consult medical practitioners in the sector for better treatment options. Professor Vincent Chung Chi-ho, commissioner for Chinese medicine

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Hong Kong water pipe leak leaves thousands of homes dry during winter solstice

Thousands of homes and 34 shopping centre tenants in a northern Hong Kong district were left without fresh water on Sunday during one of the most important family-gathering festivals, as authorities apologised and rushed to restore the supply. The Water Supplies Department said in the early afternoon that the supply to the single-block On Shing Court, Tin Ping Shopping Centre and three residential towers of Tin Ping Estate in Sheung Shui had been suspended because of a leak in a 400mm-diameter..

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Filipino helper killed in Hong Kong fire hailed as heroine as body flown home

The body of the Filipino domestic helper who died in Hong Kong’s deadly blaze last month has been repatriated to her home country, with a senior Philippine official hailing her as a heroine. Filipino Secretary for Migrant Workers Hans Leo Cacdac said the remains of Maryan Pascual Esteban, a 39-year-old helper who died in the devastating fire, arrived in the Philippines on Saturday night. “[We] offered for her our prayers and respects as a slain overseas Filipino worker heroine,” Cacdac said on..

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Hong Kong man rescued after paraglider spirals out of control, crashes into trees

A 49-year-old man was rescued on Sunday after his paraglider spiralled out of control and crashed into a wooded area in Hong Kong’s New Territories, the second accident involving such aircraft this month. Police received a report at 11.27am from a hiker on Section 4 of the MacLehose Trail that a paraglider had lost control and plunged into trees near Pyramid Hill in Ma On Shan with no signs of movement for a few minutes. Firefighters were deployed and gathered at Kak Hang Tun to launch a...

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Chocolate, cheer and charity: Hong Kong children whip up treats at festive workshop

Laughter and the scent of chocolate filled the air at Hong Kong’s Nina Hotel Island South on Saturday, as 11 children came together to craft edible Christmas trees. The festive workshop, held on December 13, brought Nina Hospitality, the hospitality arm of Chinachem Group, face to face with the beneficiaries it supported – a hallmark of the company’s long-standing partnership with the annual fundraising campaign Operation Santa Claus (OSC). The children, aged eight to 10 and all from the Hong...

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New Central Kowloon Bypass, transport links to boost Hong Kong’s competitiveness: Paul Chan

Hong Kong’s newly opened Central Kowloon Bypass, along with a planned major road and rail expansion of over 40 per cent in the next few years, will boost the city’s competitiveness and integration with national development, the finance chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said on Sunday that the deeper integration of transport infrastructure between Hong Kong and its neighbouring cities in the Greater Bay Area would enhance connectivity and the efficient flow of people and...

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