Cross-voting impacted Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand and Legislative Council polls in Karnataka. While NDA gained in Jharkhand, Congress outmaneuvered BJP in Karnataka. Both parties exhibit double standards regarding cross-voting.
The Congress party achieved a significant victory in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections, winning all five contested seats. Leaders attributed the success to strong support for the state government's policies and welfare guarantees, with CM DK Shivakumar crediting party unity.
The ruling Congress secured five out of seven seats in Karnataka's legislative council elections, exceeding expectations due to alleged cross-voting from BJP and JD(S) members. BJP won two seats, while JD(S) lost its candidate. The results are seen as a boost for CM D.K. Shivakumar's government.
Hong Kong plans to implement mandatory health checks for commercial vehicle drivers aged 65 and above by mid-2025. The age threshold will be lowered from 70, and licenses will require annual renewal with medical assessments to enhance road safety.
Hong Kong officials stated that new legislation allowing certain criminal cases to be handled under national security procedures will be used rarely. The regulation empowers the chief executive to classify offenses as endangering national security, leading to stricter procedures like longer detention and tougher bail conditions.
Industry leaders in Hong Kong are calling for the government to expand its planned mandate for driver-monitoring systems on public buses to other transport modes and upgrade road infrastructure to reduce traffic accidents.
Hong Kong introduces real-name reservations for Po Pin Chau trail to prevent scalping and no-shows, considering ballot systems and potential future fees after pilot evaluation.
Hong Kong's government has proposed subsidiary legislation to clarify what constitutes national security cases, introducing a certification mechanism by the Chief Executive to classify such cases, affecting trial procedures.
Hong Kong authorities are considering a pilot booking system for popular hiking routes and a new marine park at Sharp Island due to large crowds during mainland Chinese holidays. The aim is to control visitor numbers, protect trails, and improve visitor experience.
Hong Kong authorities plan a three-year reform for the struggling Hongkong Post, considering options like privatization or departmentalization. A HK$4.6 billion cash injection aims to buy time for this comprehensive review of its operating model.
Hong Kong Legislative Council President Starry Lee Wai-king urged officials to respect lawmakers' dissenting views, citing recent government pushback. She emphasized that policies have pros and cons and called for mutual respect between executive and legislative branches.
Hong Kong lawmakers are urging authorities to provide more timely and flexible urgent accommodation for residents displaced by new regulations targeting subdivided flats. While the Housing Bureau plans to reserve 180 transitional flats, concerns exist about the week-long review process for applicants.
Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Paul Chan stated the Middle East war has had a limited impact on local inflation, citing the city's service-based economy and stable energy from mainland China as mitigating factors.
Hong Kong sets 10,000 vehicle cap for ride-hailing service permits, drawing criticism from Uber and the taxi trade
All 90 Hong Kong lawmakers will travel to Beijing in July for a week-long "national affairs study visit," including seminars and visits to key authorities and the tech sector. The trip aims to deepen their understanding of national policies and align with China's 15th five-year plan.
Hong Kong authorities will experiment leasing government-built elderly care facilities to the private sector, with the pilot programme aiming to provide more diverse services targeting middle class senior residents. Labour and Welfare Bureau officials said in a Legislative Council panel meeting on Monday that the government would roll out a “publicly built, privately run” model to provide “more diverse and higher quality” elderly care services. Under the proposal, the government will invite...
Hong Kong authorities will experiment leasing government-built elderly care facilities to the private sector, with the pilot programme aiming to provide more diverse services targeting middle-class senior residents. Labour and Welfare Bureau officials said in a Legislative Council panel meeting on Monday that the government would roll out a “publicly built, privately run” model to provide “more diverse and higher quality” elderly care services. Under the proposal, the government will invite...
Hong Kong authorities plan to lease out government-built day care facilities for the elderly to the private sector under a pilot programme aimed at providing more diverse services targeting older middle-class residents. Labour and Welfare Bureau officials said in a Legislative Council panel meeting on Monday that the government would introduce the “publicly built, privately run” model to provide “more diverse and higher quality” elderly care services. Under the plan, the government will invite...
Hong Kong authorities plan to finalise the maximum number of ride-hailing vehicles allowed on the city’s roads and the technical details of a long-awaited regulatory regime before pushing them through as law ahead of the legislature’s recess in mid-July. In a document submitted to the Legislative Council on Monday, the Transport and Logistics Bureau also specified penalties for ride-hailing platform operators over non-compliance. They could face up to a HK$1 million (US$127,720) fine and 12...
Hong Kong lawmakers have called for a rethink of a government scheme to develop homes for the elderly, days after the city’s second largest public housing provider revealed it would stop building homes targeting senior residents for the coming 10 years. Lawmaker Andrew Lam Siu-lo of the Legislative Council’s housing panel said on Monday that the government had not been proactive enough in formulating a comprehensive elderly housing policy, urging authorities to provide new incentives for...
The NSW premier faced an extraordinary question this week amid a deteriorating relationship between his government and the Legislative Council.
The NSW premier faced an extraordinary question this week amid a deteriorating relationship between his government and the Legislative Council.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will dip into its reserves to repay a HK$4 billion (US$510.9 million) government loan owed by its debt-ridden private hospital, the institution’s council chairman has said. The finances of CUHK Medical Centre were on the agenda of Friday’s Legislative Council health panel meeting, but the discussion was rescheduled because the time was used up for other matters. Speaking to media after the meeting, council chairman John Chai Yat-chiu said his...
Traffic accidents involving animals in Hong Kong have skyrocketed more than 11-fold over the past four years, with advocacy groups attributing it to a wave of pet abandonments and the blurring of urban-rural boundaries caused by large-scale development. The latest data submitted to the Legislative Council on Wednesday showed reports of animal-related traffic accidents received by police surged from 36 cases in 2021 to 416 in 2025. However, authorities do not maintain a district-level breakdown...
