The Hospital Authority's chief pharmacist said on Thursday the upcoming hike in medication fees will help to subsidise the purchase of new drugs, as well as those used to fight cancer or rare diseases. Starting January, patients have to pay HK$20 for a four-week supply of drugs, up from the current HK$15 for a 16-week supply. Speaking on a RTHK rad…

Japan's government on Thursday warned of a "significant impact" on its economic ties with the United States -- and on global trade -- after US President Donald Trump announced import tariffs on cars. Tokyo is a close economic and strategic US ally, with its firms the biggest investors in the United States and one in 10 Japanese jobs are connected t…

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) says the winter influenza season has come to an end after about 11 weeks, but people should next get jabs to protect themselves against a possible summer flu season. Around 800 severe and fatal cases were recorded among adults over winter, while 10 children became seriously ill after catching the virus, the ce…

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reacted with anger on Wednesday to US President Donald Trump's imposition of import tariffs on cars, branding it a "direct attack" on his country. "We will defend our workers. We'll defend our companies. We'll defend our country. And we'll defend it together," said Carney. "This will hurt us, but through this per…

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be willing to reduce tariffs to get a deal done with TikTok's Chinese parent ByteDance to sell the short video app used by 170 million Americans. ByteDance has an April 5 deadline to find a non-Chinese buyer for TikTok or face a US ban on national security grounds that was supposed to have taken …

The SAR's tennis star, Coleman Wong, said late Wednesday that he was more confident about cracking the top 100 in the men's singles world rankings, following his historic success at the Miami Open. He became the first player representing Hong Kong, China to make the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, beating World No. 14 Ben Shelton in …

The men’s and women’s squad from New Zealand are chasing their third straight Hong Kong Sevens title this weekend when they battle it out at the brand new Kai Tak Stadium. The highly-anticipated rugby tournament will take place for the first time at the new venue from March 28 to 30, having moved away from Hong Kong Stadium. The New Zealand men’s s…

Chief Executive John Lee said on Wednesday a cooperation deal between Hong Kong and Hainan will contribute to the nation further opening up on the back of the free-trade advantages from the two regions. Lee made the remarks as he signed a memorandum of understanding with officials from the southern island province to boost trade and economic ties b…

Discounts will be offered to landlords who get their subdivided homes certified early under a proposed certification system, according to housing minister Winnie Ho. The government announced last year a regulatory regime to manage the city's subdivided units and hope to kick-start the process by the end of this year or early 2026, depending on the …

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak said there has been a strong response to various government youth programmes. Speaking on RTHK’s Overview Policy programme, Mak said application numbers for various activities, such as internships and exchange programmes, have gone up in recent years. The minister cited a 16-week internship scheme in D…

The Kai Tak Sports Park said it's ready to host the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament later this week. “We are fine-tuning our arrangements, and we learn from our past experiences. We adjust our operations and enhance communication with various parties and maintain continuous improvement,” Tang King-shing, a Kai Tak Sports Park director, told repor…

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said on Wednesday officials will soon come up with measures to allow shopping malls to host more business activities within their public open spaces. That came after a revamped ante-chamber meeting at the Legislative Council, where officials bounce ideas off lawmakers based on their membership in specific p…

The Secretary for Health says the new fee for people seeking help at accident and emergency wards in public hospitals can result in quicker treatment for more serious cases. Starting January 1 next year, non-critical and non-emergency patients will have to pay HK$400 per visit, up from the present flat fee of HK$180. Speaking on an RTHK programme o…

US President Donald Trump and his top intelligence officials raced on Tuesday to stem a growing scandal after a journalist was accidentally added to a group chat about air strikes on Yemen's Houthi rebels in a security breach. Trump brushed off the leak as a "glitch," while the CIA director and the White House intelligence chief both claimed during…

Asia's economy is likely to continue its robust growth this year despite challenges, according to a report by the Boao Forum for Asia. The release of the "Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2025" came as the forum kicked off its annual gathering in Hainan province, with about 2,000 representatives from more than 60 countr…

One person has been killed after a massive sinkhole opened up in Seoul, the fire department said on Tuesday, with harrowing video footage showing the moment his vehicle was swallowed by the hole. The vast hole opened up at an intersection in the southeast of the South Korean capital during the evening rush hour around 6.30 pm on Monday. Dashcam foo…

The chairman of the Billiard Sports Council of Hong Kong China welcomes the government's decision to retain the sport's Tier A status, saying the impact would have been devastating had the sport been downgraded. Speaking on an RTHK radio programme on Tuesday, Vincent Law said the retention announcement, made a day ago, comes as a relief to both ath…

Cat and dog owners will soon be able to bring pets on board the light rail on weekends and public holidays once the MTR Corporation rolls out a HK$99 monthly pet pass from May as part of a trial scheme. Under current regulations, only guide dogs are allowed on trains. The two-month pilot scheme will require owners to board the light rail with pets …

South Korean auto giant Hyundai on Monday announced a multi-billion-dollar investment in the United States, including a new US$5.8 billion steel plant. The plant, which will be based in the US state of Louisiana, "will create 1,300 American jobs," Hyundai executive chairman Euisun Chung told reporters at a White House event alongside President Dona…

The tense first day of the trial of French actor Gerard Depardieu over sexual assault allegations ended on Monday, with both sides trading jabs on their approach to the legal procedure. Depardieu is on trial over alleged sexual assaults on a film set, in a case that placed one of France's best-known movie stars at the heart of the country's broader…