Hong Kong

Hong Kong starts hearing for 16 democrats in landmark national security case

Hong Kong's High Court kicked off a hearing against 16 democrats on Thursday ahead of verdicts in a landmark subversion trial that will be closely watched by diplomats, human rights…

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UK police investigating unexplained death of man charged with spying for China

British police are investigating the unexplained death of a man charged earlier this month with assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service. Police said in a statement they were investigating an…

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New Hong Kong security law comes into force amid fears for freedoms

By James Pomfret, Jessie Pang and Greg Torode HONG KONG, March 23 (Reuters) - A new national security law came into force in Hong Kong on Saturday despite growing international…

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Hong Kong issues new national security law bill with tougher jail terms

Hefty jail terms proposed for range of offences Rights concerns raised over new security law HK trying to fast-track bill as legislature begins debate Some lawmakers say bill could pass…

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Head of Hong Kong journalists’ group sentenced to jail for obstructing police

The head of Hong Kong's leading journalists group was sentenced on Monday to five days jail for obstructing police officers in September last year after a case seen by some critics as…

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Hong Kong’s heaviest rain in at least 140 years floods city streets, metro

By Tyrone Siu and Farah Master HONG KONG, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Torrential rain deluged Hong Kong on Friday leading to widespread flooding across the densely packed city, submerging streets,…

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Hong Kong freedoms continued to erode in 2022, despite promises, EU says

Hong Kong's democratic principles, freedoms and autonomy continued to erode in 2022, despite China's obligation to protect them, the European Commission said in an annual report. Hong Kong returned from British…

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Hong Kong leader says 8 overseas activists will be ‘pursued for life’

Hong Kong chief executive John Lee said that eight overseas-based Hong Kong activists who were issued with arrest warrants for alleged national security offences, would be "pursued for life". "The…

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Arrests and tight security in Hong Kong on Tiananmen anniversary

By Jessie Pang and Ben Blanchard HONG KONG/TAIPEI, June 4 (Reuters) - Hong Kong police said on Sunday they had detained eight people near a park, four of them for "seditious intention…

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New box jellyfish species found in Hong Kong’s waters

HONG KONG, April 19 (Reuters) - A Hong Kong university team said it has discovered a new species of box jellyfish in the city's Mai Po Nature Reserve, the first…

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Hong Kong government announces measures to lure wealthy family offices

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's government announced a series of measures to attract wealthy family offices to set up in the financial hub as authorities try to restore business…

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Hong Kong on watch for any ‘spillover’ from US regional banks

HONG KONG, March 24 (Reuters) - Hong Kong needs to watch carefully for any further "spillover" from U.S. regional banks, although the city has very little exposure to the situation…

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China, Hong Kong resume high-speed rail link after 3 years of COVID curbs

By Joyce Zhou and Martin Quin Pollard HONG KONG/BEIJING, Jan 15 (Reuters) - China resumed on Sunday high-speed rail services between Hong Kong and the mainland for the first time since the…

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China to drop COVID tests for inbound travellers from Jan 8

Dec 28 (Reuters) - China will drop a requirement for inbound travellers to take COVID-19 PCR tests starting from Jan 8, 2023, customs authorities said on Wednesday. PCR checks for…

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Hong Kong proposes allowing retail trade in cryptocurrencies

HONG KONG, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's government has proposed allowing retail investors to trade in cryptocurrencies and crypto exchange-traded funds - a move it hopes will help it…

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Hong Kong lawmaker who met China’s Xi tests positive for COVID

HONG KONG, July 4 (Reuters) - A Hong Kong lawmaker who met President Xi Jinping during a rare visit by the Chinese leader to the territory last week said he…

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China’s Xi: No reason to change Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ formula

HONG KONG, July 1 (Reuters) - There is no reason to change Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" formula of governance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on a rare visit to the…

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Some media blocked from covering Xi’s handover anniversary visit to Hong Kong

HONG KONG, June 29 (Reuters) - Journalists from more than seven organisations, including Reuters, have been blocked from covering official ceremonies to mark the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese…

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China announces new Hong Kong leader’s cabinet

HONG KONG, June 19 (Reuters) - China unveiled on Sunday a list of Hong Kong government officials in the new administration of incoming leader John Lee, set to be sworn in on…

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Photo Story: T-Rex on the roofs of Hong Kong

A robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex is displayed on the rooftop of shopping mall in Hong Kong, China. The life-size robotic dinosaur installation is part of the celebrations for the 25th Anniversary…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Hong Kong, China

Two IFC is shrouded in fog in Hong Kong, China. Fog is common in Hong Kong in springtime when the territory is affected by alternate cold and warm air. Photo:…

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Hong Kong seeks to revive global banking status with major summit

Hong Kong's central bank plans to hold a major conference in November it hopes will draw global banking bosses, sources said, as the financial hub seeks to welcome back international…

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Hong Kong Catholic cardinal released on bail after arrest on national security charge

Cardinal Joseph Zen, one of the most senior Catholic clerics in Asia, and three others who helped run a now-disbanded Hong Kong fund for protesters were arrested on charges of…

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Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam says she will not seek a second term

HONG KONG, April 4 (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, who has governed the global financial hub through the unprecedented upheaval of anti-government protests and COVID-19, said on Monday she will…

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Hong Kong’s Carrie Lam says leadership election to go ahead as planned

HONG KONG, April 2 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's leadership election will go ahead on May 8 as planned, city Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Saturday, rejecting media speculation it might be…

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Hong Kong lifts flight ban, to ease strict COVID measures from April

HONG KONG, March 21 (Reuters) - Hong Kong plans to relax some anti-COVID-19 measures next month, lifting a ban on flights from nine countries, reducing quarantine for arrivals from abroad and reopening…

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Hong Kong residents urged not to panic ahead of COVID mass testing

HONG KONG, March 6 (Reuters) - Hong Kong reported 31,008 new COVID-19 cases and 153 deaths on Sunday as the city's chief secretary said residents should not worry about a looming mass…

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Families forced to split as Hong Kong COVID cases spiral and rules tighten

SYDNEY/HONG KONG, March 4 (Reuters) - While Hong Kong clings to its "zero-COVID" policy, frustrations in the city are boiling over, workplace morale is being hit hard and families are splitting as…

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Hong Kong mortuaries fill up as COVID deaths climb

HONG KONG, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Facilities for storing dead bodies at hospitals and public mortuaries in Hong Kong are at maximum capacity due to a record number of COVID-19 fatalities, the Hospital Authority said…

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Hong Kong in “all-out combat” to contain COVID outbreak with China support

HONG KONG, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Hong Kong is in "all-out combat" to contain a surge in coronavirus cases, the city's number two official said on Sunday, with the ramping up of…

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Hong Kong earmarks 20,000 hotel rooms for quarantine as COVID cases surge

HONG KONG, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Hong Kong has identified more than 20,000 hotel rooms for quarantine accommodation, leader Carrie Lam said on Friday, as property developers piled in to show support for…

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Hong Kong parents rush to vaccinate children as COVID surges

HONG KONG, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Hong Kong parents rushed children as young as 3 years old to vaccination centres this week as the government lowered the age limit for the shots…

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Photo Story: Hong Kong hospitals overwhelmed with Covid cases

Patients showing Covid-19 symptoms lie on beds outside the Accident and Emergency Department at Caritas Medical Centre in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong's coronavirus battle intensified on Thursday as authorities…

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Hong Kong “overwhelmed” as COVID infections hit record

The latest wave of COVID-19 infections has "overwhelmed" Hong Kong, the city's leader said on Monday as daily cases surged by some 20 times over the past two weeks, leaving…

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Hong Kong “overwhelmed” as COVID infections hit record

HONG KONG, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The latest wave of COVID-19 infections has "overwhelmed" Hong Kong, the city's leader said on Monday as daily cases surged by some 20 times…

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Hong Kong extends ban on flights from eight countries, adds Nepal

HONG KONG, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Hong Kong on Friday extended a ban on incoming flights from eight countries, including the United States and Britain, and imposed one on Nepal…

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Hong Kong’s daily COVID-19 infections surge to record

HONG KONG, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's daily COVID-19 infections nearly doubled to a record 1,161 cases on Wednesday, authorities said, as the global financial hub battles a rapid…

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Hong Kong’s zero-COVID strategy under pressure as cases soar

HONG KONG, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Hong Kong is expected to report a record of around 610 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, broadcaster TVB reported, in the biggest test yet…

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China’s net gold imports via Hong Kong surge in 2021

Jan 27 (Reuters) - China's net gold imports via Hong Kong surged in 2021 despite a dip in December from the previous month, as consumers stocked up on bullion to…

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Hong Kong may maintain COVID isolation until 2024, risking exodus – Euro chamber

* Firms may shift to mainland, Singapore or Seoul HONG KONG, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Hong Kong may only reopen in early 2024 because of its stringent COVID-19 policies, which…

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Hong Kong says civil servants to work from home as much as possible as COVID spreads

HONG KONG, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's government said that special work arrangements would be put in place from Tuesday to reduce the number of civil servants working in…

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One surrendered Hong Kong hamster tests COVID positive as city lockdown grows

HONG KONG, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Hong Kong authorities said on Sunday one hamster surrendered to authorities by pet-owners had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and that over 2,200…

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Hong Kong orders hamster cull after COVID-19 hits pets

Hong Kong ordered a cull of 2,000 hamsters on Tuesday and warned pet owners not to kiss animals after a new cluster of COVID-19 cases was traced to a pet shop. The outbreak…

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Hong Kong suspends transit flights from most of the world due to COVID-19

HONG KONG, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Hong Kong authorities said on Friday the city's airport will suspend for a month transit flights from around 150 countries and territories considered high…

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Hong Kong warns COVID-19 curbs on air cargo to hit goods supply

HONG KONG, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Hong Kong will soon feel the negative effects of tougher COVID-19 quarantine curbs on air crew, with cargo traffic and the supply of goods…

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Hong Kong announces new COVID measures, including flight bans

Hong Kong announced a two-week ban on incoming flights from eight countries on Wednesday and tightened local COVID-19 restrictions as authorities feared a fifth wave of coronavirus in the city.…

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Hong Kong says Omicron has spread despite COVID restrictions

HONG KONG, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's health officials said on Friday the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has made its way past some of the world's toughest COVID…

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Hong Kong police charges two former Stand News editors with sedition

HONG KONG, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Two former senior editors arrested in a Hong Kong police crackdown on a pro-democracy media organisation were charged on Thursday with sedition-related offences, national…

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Hong Kong university dismantles, removes Tiananmen statue

HONG KONG, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A leading Hong Kong university has dismantled and removed a statue from its campus site that for more than two decades has commemorated pro-democracy…

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Hong Kong researchers urge third COVID-19 shot after new Omicron study

HONG KONG, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Researchers in Hong Kong have urged people to get a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, after a study showed insufficient…

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UPDATED: Hong Kong douses fire that trapped 150 people on trade centre roof

HONG KONG, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A fire broke out on Wednesday in Hong Kong's World Trade Centre, trapping about 150 people on its roof, and 13 people were injured…

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Amnesty International to shut Hong Kong offices

International rights group Amnesty International said on Monday it would close its Hong Kong offices because a China-imposed security law had now made it "effectively impossible" for rights groups to…

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Hong Kong panel advises single dose of BioNTech COVID shot for teens

HONG KONG, Sept 16 (Reuters) - A panel of health experts advising the Hong Kong government has recommended children aged 12-17 should get only one dose of BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine…

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Hong Kong police raid museum commemorating 1989 Tiananmen victims

Hong Kong police on Thursday raided the premises of the closed June 4th Museum, dedicated to the victims of China's 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen…

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Hong Kong proposes film censorship law to ‘safeguard national security’

Hong Kong said on Tuesday new film censorship legislation will be introduced to "safeguard national security", in another sign of shrinking freedoms in the former British colony. China introduced a sweeping national…

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Candidate pulls out of Hong Kong lawyers’ group election over safety fears

HONG KONG, Aug 21 (Reuters) - A council member of a professional group of solicitors in Hong Kong on Saturday dropped his bid to seek re-election next week, citing fears…

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Hong Kong reclassifies 15 countries as ‘high risk’ for COVID-19

Hong Kong's government said it would upgrade 15 overseas places including the United States, Spain and France to "high risk" from "medium risk" by Aug. 20, meaning international arrivals from…

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