DotDotWeekly | HK's waste charging scheme postponed until Aug 1st

DotDotNews gladly presents our new program, DotDotWeekly. Every Friday, we bring you a roundup of highlights of Hong Kong news from our platform.

News of the Week

CE: Article 23 legislation should start ASAP

John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of HKSAR, said on Tuesday that relevant departments should start the legislative work on Article 23 of the Basic Law as soon as possible.

The Safeguarding National Security Bill was among the 29 bills to be tabled to the LegCo within the 2024 legislative session. The bill aims to "implement Article 23 of the Basic Law, enhance relevant laws for safeguarding national security, and to provide for related matters".

Waste charging scheme postponed until Aug 1st

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan announced Friday that HK's waste charging scheme will be implemented in stages. The government departments will start implementing it on April 1st, while the public will have to wait until August 1st for the scheme to take effect. He mentioned that the authorities want to lead the way and give society more time to understand and get to know the measure.

Life expectancy in HK dropped in 2022 amid COVID-19

Life expectancy in Hong Kong dropped in 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic as respiratory diseases overtook cancer as the leading cause of death in the territory, according to official data.

The department also noted a "pronounced seasonality in the incidence of deaths" in the city, with more people passing away in winter. As HK steps into the winter flu season, DotDotNews reminds our audience to take good care of themselves and their elderly family.

Jimmy Lai told Apple Daily editors to seek foreign support

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying's national security trial, which was postponed three times, started on December 18 last year and is expected to last 80 days. And the following is the key takeaway of the proceedings this week.

Former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung testified in court on Wednesday that Lai had instructed the newspaper to seek support from Western countries during the 2019 social unrest, with the aim of turning the tabloid into a platform to confront the central and local authorities, including imposing sanctions on officials.

On Thursday, Cheung told the court that Lai planned to use the English-language edition of Apple Daily newspaper to reach into the United States, turning US readers into his political lever for the tabloid and US politics.

Cheung, who was arrested in June 2021, pleaded guilty in November 2022 to colluding with external elements to endanger national security, along with five other former Apple Daily executives.

Paul Chan clarifies: No plans for capital gains tax, departure tax

The government will release a new budget at the end of February. Facing a deficit of hundreds of billions of HK dollars, the public is concerned about whether Hong Kong will introduce new tax regimes such as capital gains tax (CGT). Finance chief Paul Chan said the city does not have the conditions to introduce CGT at present or in the foreseeable future, and he has not considered levying departure tax.

HK Marathon 2024 to be held Sunday

Hong Kong Marathon 2024 will take place this Sunday, marking its 26th anniversary. Also, according to the HKO, temperatures will slightly drop this weekend, so please take precautions.