A growing number of former senior government officials have joined the race for seats on Hong Kong’s Election Committee, a trend observers say will enhance the prestige and legitimacy of the body tasked with choosing the city’s next leader. As the two-week nomination period draws to a close next Tuesday, the Registration and Electoral Office had received 1,115 nominations for 982 elected seats on the Election Committee as of Friday. The poll will be held on November 22 and the elected members...

Two rush-hour disruptions at Hong Kong’s Lam Tin MTR station within 15 hours could be connected if they involved the same power supply circuit or exposed procedural shortcomings, an engineering expert has said, with a lawmaker urging the rail operator to offer more targeted compensation to affected passengers. The first disruption occurred on Tuesday evening, when an insulating rubber component in a track turnout caught fire, halting services for about an hour. The second struck on Wednesday...

Five Guangdong-registered yachts will sail into Hong Kong waters on Friday when the Southbound Yacht Travel Scheme launches, the city’s marine chief has said, adding that officers will step up patrols. A ceremony marking the scheme’s maiden voyages will also take place. The launch is a key step in the government’s plan to develop Hong Kong’s yacht economy, as outlined in the city’s first five-year plan and the latest policy address. Under the scheme, mainland Chinese vessels can register through...

Hong Kong postal workers denied permanent contracts have criticised a special government transfer scheme as too narrow, calling for more pathways into roles that match their experience, such as workman and artisan positions. Several affected workers told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday that the concessions offered insufficient support and failed to reflect their skills or circumstances. One postal worker, who asked not to be named, said that while the government had offered priority...

Four Hong Kong franchised bus operators have applied to raise fares by up to 17.7 per cent, citing “significant financial pressure” from soaring fuel prices driven by the Middle East conflict. Citybus has sought the steepest increase, at 17.7 per cent, followed by KMB at 16 per cent. Long Win Bus and New Lantao Bus have applied for rises of 8.1 per cent and 9.8 per cent respectively, according to a paper the Transport and Logistics Bureau submitted to the Legislative Council on Wednesday. The...