
Officials prioritize public well-being over resignation as housing minister vacancy remains uncertain
AI-generated summary
A deadly fire occurred in Tai Po, leading to the resignation of Housing Minister Winnie Ho Wing-yin.
Ministers have defended their decision not to step down over the deadly Tai Po fire, insisting they are putting Hong Kong’s well-being ahead of personal considerations.
A senior official also hinted that a successor might not be named to replace Winnie Ho Wing-yin, who resigned as housing minister to take political accountability for the city’s deadliest disaster in decades.
Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun, who is now serving as acting housing minister, apologised alongside three cabinet colleagues on Friday as they unveiled details of reforms aimed at preventing a repeat of the tragedy.

"Deutsche Welle" visited the Taipei mayoral election campaign where the Blue-Green camp was building momentum, and interviewed supporters on the streets to express their reasons for their stance. Supporters of Jiang Wanan affirmed his administration and policies, while supporters of Shen Boyang praised his sincerity and ideas, triggering heated discussions on the Internet.

The "Daduhemei Bridge" jointly built by Taichung City and Changhua County will be opened to traffic at 3 p.m. tomorrow. The project cost 3.3 billion yuan and is about 1,440 meters long. Once opened to traffic, the drive from Dadu to Hemei will be significantly shortened from 30 minutes to 3 minutes. It will also have pedestrian and bicycle lanes, serving both transportation and sightseeing functions.

Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Lai Ruilong said after the debate that the core of his candidacy is public policy and urban vision. He emphasized his past administrative and legislative experience and responded to criticism from his opponent Ke Zhien. He also called on supporters to pay attention to tomorrow's Taipei mayoral debate and cheer for Shen Boyang.

After the first debate of the Kaohsiung mayoral election, candidate Ke Zhien performed unscripted when explaining his conclusions during the interview. This was because time was limited and he needed to clarify his opponent's smear campaign. She criticized her opponent Lai Ruilong for dodging core issues such as political donations, and said that performance scores were left to the citizens to judge.

During the 2026 Kaohsiung mayoral debate, Ke Zhien used "re-examination" as a metaphor for his mood during the election, emphasizing cherishing service opportunities. She criticized her opponent Lai Ruilong for representing the new trend faction, and reiterated that if elected, she would refuse the intervention of specific politicians. She also expressed her views on the financial planning law and municipal vision, calling on Kaohsiung to make drastic changes.

Hong Kong officials announced reforms for building renovation oversight, warning that a new monitoring body could be held liable for poor supervision. The initiative follows a deadly fire in Tai Po and includes plans to criminalise bid-rigging by next April.