A senior Hong Kong government official who oversaw faulty lift installation work that stalled the launch of a new block at Queen Mary Hospital was asked to resign and left her post last month to take responsibility for the defects and delays on other projects, the South China Morning Post has learned. But experts criticised the authorities’ handling of civil service management missteps, which bypassed the established disciplinary mechanism, saying it lacked transparency. Multiple sources said...

Dr Asma Zafirah doesn’t need satellite images to know when Kalimantan is burning. She sees it in the watery eyes and laboured breaths of the patients at her clinic in Sarawak, and the children who are kept home from school to protect them from the toxic air. Southeast Asia’s transboundary haze crisis was meant to have been brought under control six years ago. But Borneo is once again belching out dangerous emissions, as fires in the peatlands and forests of Kalimantan – Indonesia’s section of...

A senior Hong Kong government official who oversaw faulty lift installation work that stalled the launch of a new block at Queen Mary Hospital was asked to resign and left her post last month to take responsibility for the defects and delays on other projects, the South China Morning Post has learned. But experts criticised the authorities’ handling of civil service management missteps, which bypassed the established disciplinary mechanism, saying it lacked transparency. Multiple sources said...

Hong Kong police have arrested a 36-year-old man suspected of having fled with a Mark Six jackpot worth around HK$30 million (US$3.8 million) that he should have shared with 14 colleagues. A source said on Friday that a 53-year-old man had reported to police on Wednesday that he was one of 15 colleagues who had chipped in to buy a Mark Six ticket for the draw on Saturday. The group reportedly comprised some staff members of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD). His colleague, a...

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia (PETA) has urged Hongkongers to shun a live equestrian theatrical show at the Kai Tak Arena, citing animal cruelty allegations. Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld. Photo: Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld. Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld debuted on Tuesday and runs until Sunday, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club as the main host and event partner. The immersive show from Europe involves 54 horses, stunts, dancing and large sets. In a statement on Thursday, a PETA Asia spokesperson said: “Horses are sensitive, intelligent animals who feel fear and pain—not entertainment props to be trotted out under blinding lights and fireworks for a paying crowd.” Underprivileged, youth and elderly groups attend the Cavalluna dress rehearsal with assistance from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club. “A PETA Germany investigation into Cavalluna documented horses being forced into the painful, welfare-violating ‘rollkur’ head-and-neck position and driven with whip-cracks into frightening tricks involving fire and light effects,” they added. The NGO called on the public to reject “spectacles that exploit animals and to choose only animal-free entertainment.” PETA Germany footage appearing to show a Cavalluna horse adopting the “rollkur” head-and-neck position. Photo: PETA Germany. PETA Germany released video clips last year appearing to show Cavalluna horses repeatedly enduring painful overstretching of the neck, restrictions in sight and breathing, and involvement in tricks involving fire and light. The whistle-blower footage was submitted to the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office as part of a criminal complaint alleging animal welfare violations. Horses ‘part of the family’ Cavalluna previously responded to PETA Germany on its website, saying animal welfare is its highest priority: “You cannot force a horse to perform gracefully and willingly — not with coercion, food deprivation, or any other methods that violate animal welfare. It is simply impossible to present a horse in liberty work or any other riding discipline if the animal is not willing to cooperate… If a horse were scared or suffering, even a layperson could easily see it in its body language and expression.” Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld. Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club. They said that animal welfare representatives and independent official veterinarians examine all animals, tents, transport vehicles and riding gear worldwide, adding that Cavalluna horses are stallions which “enjoy presenting themselves.” In a response on Friday to HKFP, Cavalluna said “Short video clips or photographs can never reflect the full picture of a situation, as the context is missing. Without a professionally trained eye and knowledge of the specific characteristics of a particular lesson or horse breed, no one can make a professional assessment. Consequently, moments are sometimes shown out of context in which a horse, whilst in motion, fails to maintain correct contact for a brief moment.” The organisers said that horses are trained to become familiar with bright lights, music and applause, dismissing PETA’s claims as “sensationalist.” It condemned rollkur, saying that baroque horse breeds like Lusitanos or Friesians naturally arch their necks high. “Production is regularly inspected by the relevant veterinary authority – a completely independent, critical and professionally trained body. This includes the horses themselves, the equipment, the stables and the transport vehicles,” they said. At an opening ceremony this week, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law hailed the show as underlining “Hong Kong’s standing as a premier host of world-class events.” Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld opening night ceremony. Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club. Cavalluna enjoyed support from the government’s Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund. Large-scale events are eligible for a maximum funding amount of HK$15 million. HKFP has reached out to the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Relatives of three Tiananmen vigil activists sentenced on Friday for inciting subversion have decried their years-long prison terms as “totally unjust,” and have said that two of the defendants will appeal. Elizabeth Tang (second from left), mother of Chow (middle) and Lau Ka-yee (first from right) met the press after sentences on September 11, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were handed jail terms of seven years and seven years and three months, respectively. Fellow Alliance leader Albert Ho, the only one of the trio to plead guilty, received a sentence of five years and two months. The Alliance, which was also convicted and fined HK$1.5 million, held annual vigils to remember China’s 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. Elizabeth Tang outside the West Kowloon Law Courts Building on Friday, September 11, 2026, ahead of the sentencing of Tiananmen vigil activists Chow Hang-tung, Albert Ho, and her husband Lee Cheuk-yan. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Lee’s wife, Elizabeth Tang, told reporters outside the West Kowloon Law Courts Building that the sentence, delivered by a panel of designated national security judges, was “unacceptable.” “It’s a sad day for me as his wife,” Tang said in Cantonese. “I cannot imagine that he has to spend another three years in jail.” “People will be shocked and angry,” she added. “Millions of people were there in Victoria Park [for the vigil].” Family members and friends of Tiananmen vigil activists meet the press on September 11, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Tang said Chow and Lee intend to launch an appeal against their convictions and sentences. June 4th memories ‘reopened’ Chow Hang-tung’s mother, who declined to give her name to press, said on Friday that her daughter was proud to represent herself in court. “She once said: ‘It feels great, I can finally take off my barrister’s robe and speak the truth freely on my own behalf’,” Chow’s mother recalled her daughter saying. Mother of Chow Hang-tung meets the press on September 11, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP, “I don’t know whether I should thank those who dragged her to the dock,” Chow’s mother said. “Thanks to them, the memories of June 4th were reopened. Thanks to them, the truth of June 4th and everything that has happened in Hong Kong over these years has been entered into Hong Kong court records.” The Tiananmen crackdown occurred on June 4, 1989, ending months of student-led demonstrations in China. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People’s Liberation Army cracked down on protesters in Beijing. A Correctional Services van outside the West Kowloon Law Courts Building on Friday, September 11, 2026, ahead of the sentencing of Tiananmen vigil activists Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Albert Ho. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Chow’s mother thanked legal professionals for “walking alongside us against the wind,” telling them: “You don’t need to feel too sad or discouraged by today’s verdict, and even less should you feel any guilt… Everyone, please take good care and live your lives well.” ‘Not even for a single day’ “They shouldn’t be in prison at all – not even for a single day,” Lau Ka-yee, an activist and friend of Chow, said in Cantonese. “It wasn’t just the Alliance speaking out: every single person who lit a candle, millions of Hongkongers and friends overseas, have all persisted in speaking out.” Lau also expressed hope that the Correctional Services Department will implement better measures for heat reduction in prison, in light of record-breaking temperatures this summer. Police follow friends and family members of the Tiananmen vigil activists on September 11, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Friday’s ruling said that the present case did not involve violence or the threat of violence, “nor had the defendant put forward any specific means of implementation or timetable” to end one-party rule in mainland China – one of the Alliance’s central tenets. Nevertheless, the court still found that the offence was “of a serious nature.” That placed the defendants within the higher of the two sentencing bands under the Beijing-imposed national security law, with sentences ranging from five to 10 years, it added. ‘Police will be watching closely’ After Friday’s sentencing, which lasted a little more than 10 minutes, Senior Superintendent Steve Li of the police force’s National Security Department spoke to the press. Steve Li meets the press on September 11, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. “From the sentences handed down to the three, it can be seen that they are responsible for extremely serious offences,” Li said. “It was to be expected that Chow Hang-tung, who showed no remorse and was obstinate to the end, received the heaviest sentence.” Li also addressed a reporter’s question as to whether commemorating the Tiananmen crackdown violated the law. “We can see from the trial that vigils can be used for the purposes of incitement,” he said. “Organisers must be very wary… If public assemblies or marches are involved, the police will be watching closely.”

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