hkfpreports
Hong Kong restaurants have been slow to switch to eco-friendly alternatives following the single-use plastics ban enacted on Monday, with many still using disposables. Single-use plastics including straws and utensils are forbidden under the ban. Restaurants have a six-month grace period to comply with the new rules, under which the government will not take enforcement actions. As the transition began on Monday, coinciding with Earth Day, chain eateries have been quicker to make the transition than smaller restaurants. Of the eight eateries visited by HKFP, only two had started using paper con...
Hong Kong Free Press
The sacking of a pastor at one of Hong Kong’s only LGBTQ-friendly churches has prompted three people to come forward with allegations of past sexual harassment, with two of the alleged incidents dating back more than a decade. Experts said the cases highlight the hesitation that some may feel in making complaints about authority figures in places of worship. Joe Pang, a Malaysian pastor known for his LGBTQ advocacy, was dismissed by The Blessed Ministry Community Church (BMCC) last December after over eight years there. In a February statement, the church said Pang had committed “serious misco...
Hong Kong Free Press
On the small and tranquil island of Peng Chau, just a half-hour ferry ride from bustling Central, Hong Kong zine designer Forrest Lau finds solace and inspiration away from fast-paced city life. The island with just over 5,700 residents “nurtures” and fuels his creative pursuits, the artist said. Inside Lau’s village house is a small studio filled with dozens of books about zine-making and graphic design. More than ten rolls of tape are neatly arranged on his desk, while papers illustrating the effects of various printing techniques are posted on the walls. Lau’s cat sat quietly next to a pile...
Hong Kong Free Press
A student protester must be able to chant slogans with an air of certainty. A pragmatic legislator has to navigate the ambiguities of politics. Lin Fei-fan has managed to do both. Lin, a former leader of Taiwan’s Sunflower Movement, has been deputy-secretary general of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) since 2019. The DPP in January won an unprecedented third presidential term, and despite its activist origins now represents the establishment. Like many DPP politicians, Lin has been fiercely criticised by Beijing. “I just learnt that the Taiwan Affairs Office said I was harming Taiwan,” h...
Hong Kong Free Press
By Martina Igini After an electrifying performance at last year’s Clockenflap, multi-instrumentalist FKJ is returning to Hong Kong this May for a more intimate performance – the first of its kind for the Frenchman. In an interview with HKFP ahead of the show, the artist talked about his first steps in the music industry and different influences and collaborations that shaped his style. He also revealed some upcoming projects including a new live album and a studio album, both set to be released this year. Less than two months after borders reopened and days after authorities axed a long-runnin...
Hong Kong Free Press
Along Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on a March weekend, tourists armed with selfie sticks jostled for space as they took photos with the city’s famed skyline as a backdrop. Nearby, tour guides told the stories of Bruce Lee and Tony Leung, two local actors featured in the Avenue of Stars – Hong Kong’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Years ago, the chatter would likely have been a symphony of languages, from English to Korean to French and others. But on that Saturday afternoon, little else but Mandarin could be heard. Since Hong Kong fully reopened to travellers last February after three y...
Hong Kong Free Press
Theatrical and awards events hosted by at least four organisations and student groups have been axed so far this year, sparking fears in the performing arts community and anguished debate over where the “red lines” now run. The sector depends heavily on government and charity funding. But for those who work in it, many of whom are freelance or self-employed, the cancellations came as little surprise, following a wave of crackdowns since China imposed a sweeping security law on the city in 2020. On March 23, Hong Kong enacted its own security legislation, which covers five types of crime, inclu...
Hong Kong Free Press
This article was published in partnership with Repórter Brasil. At first glance, there is little to link a handful of featureless Hong Kong office spaces to the world’s largest tropical rainforest. But supply chain data – obtained by non-profit organisation Repórter Brasil and shared with HKFP -reveals that at least four businesses in the city have imported beef products farmed by a man whom Brazilian police have called “the greatest devastator of the Amazon.” Cattle farming is “the number one culprit of deforestation in virtually every Amazon country,” according to environmental NGO the World...
Hong Kong Free Press
Hongkongers have become wearily familiar with incoming “spam” phone calls, which once started with the giveaway number “3” but are now harder to spot. Telemarketers are merely annoying, but “scam” calls from their criminal counterparts can lead to severe financial losses. HKFP looks at the rise in both telemarketing and scam calls in the city despite efforts by police and the telecommunications regulator to combat them. According to a report by call-blocker app HKJunkCall last October, more than 16,000 person-to-person telemarketing calls, or spam calls, were reported in the first nine months ...
Hong Kong Free Press
Hemyar Saad knew no-one in Hong Kong – nor did he speak English or Cantonese – when his family fled unrest in the Middle East and took him to the city in 2014. “The first priority for me was to be safe,” said Saad, now 25, who has worked as a business analyst. “The second thing… I wanted to resume my life. I wanted to adapt to a new society.” Saad is among the handful of successful applicants who have had their claims for “non-refoulement” – the right not to be deported to a home country because of the threat of persecution – substantiated by authorities. He has recently relocated to Canada bu...
Hong Kong Free Press
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