Beijing on Thursday said it was "concerned" over the situation on the Korean Peninsula, after Pyongyang said it had test-fired one of its most powerful missiles to boost its nuclear deterrent. The launch was North Korea's first weapons test since being accused of sending soldiers to Russia, with South Korea's military saying that its "initial judge…

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau on Thursday said Hong Kong’s planned third medical school could be modelled on the American system and focus on admitting students with bachelor’s degrees. In his latest Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee said the administration would support local universities in establishing a third medical school in the SA…

Worker representatives on Thursday met the labour secretary, who they said promised to take steps to stop the exploitation of migrant employees. Mainland employees seeking work in Hong Kong under various labour importation schemes must apply through authorised agents, which reportedly charge them fees that can add up to tens of thousands of dollars…

Snooker superstar Ronnie O’Sullivan has become a Hong Kong resident through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Immigration Department said on social media on Thursday. The 48-year-old, known as the Rocket for his fast and attacking playing style, said he enjoyed his time in the SAR in the past and his sport is very popular in the city. O'Sul…

Researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on Thursday said they have developed a new AI medical model that answers questions like ChatGPT. The chatbot is one of four new AI models unveiled by the university which can diagnose up to 30 types of cancers and diseases. Professor Chen Hao, who led the project, said the "MedDr" …

Choi Hung Estate will be redeveloped in three phases, with the first batch of affected residents set to be relocated in about four years’ time, according to a paper submitted by housing authorities on Wednesday. The redevelopment plan’s timeline for the estate built in the 1960s and famous for its rainbow colour theme was unveiled in a paper submit…

The three astronauts of the Shenzhou-19 spaceflight mission have entered the Tiangong space station and met with three others, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover. The Shenzhou-18 crew opened the hatch at 12.51pm on Wednesday (Beijing time) and greeted the new arrivals, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The six crew members the…

Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Wednesday said the debut of Saudi Arabia's first exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track Hong Kong-listed equities will strengthen cooperation between the two places. Chan's remark came as trading of such ETFs began on the Saudi stock exchange. Issuer Albilad Capital and its partner CSOP Asset Management said the tr…

The mainland is set to issue one-off permits to allow Hong Kong newborns to travel there, according to DAB chairman Gary Chan. Chan said on Wednesday that DAB lawmakers have received calls for help from parents saying they had hoped to travel across the border with their newborns, but applications for temporary mainland travel permits take at least…

There's growing interest for jurisdictions to conduct trade in their own currency, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said on Wednesday, adding that a multi-central bank digital currency platform is "worth pushing forward". At the annual Future Investment Initiative summit in Saudi Arabia, Chan said Hong Kong has been involved in the mBridge project, a …

Qatar's Akram Afif was named Asian Football Confederation men's player of the year on Tuesday, while Japan's Kiko Seike took home the women's award. Forward Afif led Qatar to the Asian Cup title at the start of the year, being named player of the tournament and winning the golden boot with eight goals – including a hat-trick against Jordan in the f…

Three Chinese astronauts including the country's only woman spaceflight engineer blasted off on a "dream" mission to the Tiangong space station in the early hours of Wednesday The new Tiangong team will carry out experiments with an eye to the space programme's ambitious goal of placing astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and eventually constructing a l…

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday expressed the hope that the Hong Chi Association will review the operations of its care homes, after a former staff member was charged for the alleged sexual assault of two intellectually impaired residents at its Tai Po facility. Lee described the incident – which Hong Chi said took place in August and saw the 3…

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday hit out at the US government for finalising plans to ban American investments in AI and other advanced technology sectors in China, including Hong Kong and Macau. The US Treasury Department said overnight that a ban on investments in semiconductors, microelectronics and quantum information technologies will come …

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said authorities will make use of the first discovery of dinosaur fossils in Hong Kong to attract more visitors, with officials planning to develop Port Island, where the bones were found, into a tourist attraction. Officials believe that more of these fossils might be found on the island in the northeastern wate…

The nation's only female spaceflight engineer will be among a fresh crew of three astronauts that will travel to the Tiangong space station. Shenzhou 19 crewmember Wang Haoze will become the third Chinese woman to take part in a crewed mission. Wang was introduced on Tuesday along with her fellow crewmates Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong at the Jiuquan…

Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said the authorities will continue to hold test events at the new Kai Tak Sports Park. Speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee said officials will learn from the experience of the first test run at the park last Sunday. He said a second test event will be held at the Youth Sports Ground in mid…

Tens of thousands of Georgians massed outside parliament on Monday night, demanding the annulment of the weekend parliamentary election that the president denounced as rigged with the help of Russia. The rally deepened the political crisis in the South Caucasus country, where the governing Georgian Dream party has become increasingly authoritarian …