SCMP Hong Kong·Monday, December 22, 2025

SCMP Hong Kong - Monday, December 22, 2025

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

Hong Kong tightens rules for waterfront event space after hot-air balloon fiasco

Hong Kong has tightened rental and operating rules for a new waterfront event space in Hung Hom following a hot-air balloon fiasco in September that left customers frustrated after the organiser failed to obtain a licence for its advertised rides. The Development Bureau on Monday also said that it had beefed up the terms and requirements in quotation documents to place a “heavier onus” on the operator for the use of The Pier, the former Hung Hom railway freight yard. The announcement included a.

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Hong Kong’s solid waste levels dip for third year, but green groups still worried

Hong Kong’s municipal solid waste levels at landfills fell to 3.85 million tonnes in 2024, marking three straight years of declines, but green groups have warned the trend could be short-lived following the shelving of a controversial waste-charging scheme last year. The latest figures from authorities on Monday also showed the average daily quantity of waste going to landfills was 10,510 tonnes, representing a 3.4 per cent decrease from 10,884 tonnes in 2023. The amount of plastic waste...

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Carbon monoxide leak leaves 6 workers unconscious at MTR station in Hong Kong

A carbon monoxide leak at a Hong Kong railway station caused six workers to fall unconscious on Monday, with four of them later being sent to hospital. Police said a staff member from Mong Kok East MTR station filed a report to the force at 2.41pm saying that the six workers had been found collapsed in a changing room. The force said the leak originated from a generator. All six people later regained consciousness, with four of them sent to Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, before being...

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Gold takes centre stage as Hong Kong hosts first committee to build commodities ecosystem

Hong Kong is putting gold at the centre of its push to become a global commodities trading hub, with officials prioritising plans for an international gold trading centre alongside a broader strategy to expand the city’s role in physical trade, derivatives and logistics. The government’s newly formed Commodity Strategy Committee held its first meeting on Monday under Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, as Hong Kong looked to build out a commodities ecosystem that would generate new growth...

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Bridge work starts as Hong Kong opens tech park in cross-border innovation hub

Construction has begun on a bridge linking technology parks in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Monday inaugurated the city’s side of the major cross-border innovation hub. At the opening ceremony for the Hong Kong side of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, Lee said the bridge would help open up the area’s transport network, promote the flow of people and strengthen innovation ties between the cities. He said the bridge.

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Hong Kong’s famed Peak Tram to increase standard fares by up to 40%

Hong Kong’s famed Peak Tram will raise its fares from next Monday, with standard ticket prices for children and the elderly increasing by nearly 40 per cent. The Peak Tramways Company announced on Monday that return tickets for adults would cost HK$116 (US$15) while one-way tickets would be HK$82, a rise of 7 to 8 per cent. But fares for children and the elderly would jump to HK$52 for a single ticket and HK$75 for a return trip, a significant increase ranging from 36.8 to 38.9 per cent. The fee

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Hong Kong online investment scams surge 20% as losses hit HK$3.08 billion

Hong Kong recorded a 20 per cent increase in online investment scams in the first 10 months of the year, with victims losing HK$3.08 billion (US$395.9 million), according to police. Superintendent Theodora Lee Wai-see of the force’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre also revealed on Monday that 83 per cent of all fraudulent messages were disseminated through Meta-owned platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. Overall, Hong Kong residents lost HK$6.43 billion to various scams over..

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Hong Kong restaurants eye Lunar New Year boost after weak winter solstice sales

Hong Kong restaurants are looking towards Lunar New Year for a rebound in business after weak sales over the winter solstice weekend, as the city continues to reel from the Tai Po fire tragedy. Restaurant operators said on Monday they hoped business could take off in February around the Lunar New Year holiday. On Sunday, one Chinese-style restaurant recorded a 6 per cent drop in sales, despite a 15 per cent increase in diners for winter solstice dinners. “Customers have ordered less and are...

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University of Hong Kong cites ‘instability’ as it denies mourning venue after fire

Hong Kong’s oldest university refused to provide a venue for students to mourn the victims of the Tai Po fire, citing concerns about “social instability” and “force majeure”, according to its campus publication. In a reply to the Post, a University of Hong Kong (HKU) spokesman said on Monday the institution had maintained communication with representatives from student organisations over venue applications, which were assessed in accordance with established guidelines. But he did not address the

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Hong Kong man who went missing overnight on hike with mother found in Yuen Long

A Hong Kong man who went missing for more than 12 hours during a hike in Yuen Long was found by an employee of Tai Lam Tunnel on Monday morning. The force received a report from a 57-year-old woman, surnamed Lee, at 5.22pm on Sunday, saying that her 28-year-old son was missing after going off to relieve himself while the pair were on a hike in Tai Tong. The man, surnamed Tang, had an intellectual disability, according to police. The Government Flying Service dispatched helicopters overnight to..

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