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Poverty

Poverty
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Poverty. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Hong Kong’s skyline, as seen from the city’s Tsuen Wan district on June 15. As long as absolute living standards are dignified, peaceful and secure, extreme relative wealth disparities are acceptable. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong society

Letters | Beyond the wealth gap: Hong Kong must first secure basic living standards

Readers discuss why addressing wealth disparities may be missing the point, Hong Kong’s harbourfront ambitions, and how Singapore’s education system caters to late bloomers.

Hong Kong housing

Exclusive | High ceiling to clear? First rectified subdivided flat to be approved soon

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | To tackle elderly poverty crisis, Hong Kong needs to rethink retirement

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran survived 3 months of war. Can it survive the aftermath?

US$270 billion in damage and 4 million citizens plunged into poverty may have broken Iran’s economy.

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Smoke and flames rise from the site of US-Israeli airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran on March 7. Photo: Sasan/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images/TNS
Science

China ‘on track to surpass United States’ in goals for human, planet health: UN

Report showing global progress on 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals shows gap between Chinese and US closed significantly since 2015.

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Hong Kong society

Hong Kong is world’s most unequal society for wealth distribution, study finds

Study analysed evolution of income and wealth inequality in Hong Kong between 1981 and 2021.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong’s new poverty metric blinds government to issue’s sources

While the government lauds its efforts, discarding the income-based poverty line obscures a full accounting of the problem.

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A man rests in a makeshift shelter in Mong Kok on June 18. Photo: Dickson Lee
Hong Kong economy

Editorial | New poverty measure in Hong Kong won’t change duty to those in need

Whether household income or a more holistic framework is used to gauge poverty, it is important that the most vulnerable don’t slip through the safety net.

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong changes how it defines poverty but experts express doubt about move

Government adopts new 21-indicator framework in efforts to help needy and raises concept of ‘social transfer values’ for first time.

Hong Kong politics

Opinion | Hong Kong’s five-year plan must boost governance to ensure results

The challenge is not simply identifying problems. It is mustering the political will and building the capacity to overcome them.

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Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu arrives to meet the press at the government headquarters in Admiralty on February 10. Photo: Elson Li
China jobs

China’s gig economy is an employment reservoir – but is the well drying up?

More than 200 million people in China are flexibly employed, but AI adoption, unstable income and poor social security make positions precarious.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Hong Kong housing

Fatal subdivided flat fire highlights need to tackle substandard homes: minister

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho says victims had average living space of five square metres, presenting numerous fire safety hazards.

Africa

Vigilantes in Nigeria kill herders amid jihadist tensions, kidnapping gangs

Central and northwestern Nigeria have for years been terrorised by cattle rustling and kidnapping-for-ransom gangs working with local jihadists.

Indonesia

Indonesia domestic worker law faces uphill battle against cultural attitudes

While the new law is a start, real changes will not happen instantly because of ingrained beliefs, women activists say.

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Domestic workers undergo skills training in Indonesia. Photo: International Labour Organization
Trending in China

Plight of parentless China boy cared for by grandpa attracts 46 million views, prompts government aid

‘Sensible’ 9-year-old handles all the household chores, often cries in his sleep while dreaming about his dead father.

A nine-year-old boy in China relies on his 73-year-old grandfather after his father died and his mother remarried. His teacher was so moved by his story that she offered to care for him if his grandfather dies. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Trending in China

China single mum works in construction, lifts cement bags for 16 years to support child

40-year-old divorcee with two kids builds leg muscles ‘like rock’ through physical labour; boss says she outworks men on the job.

US, Israel war on Iran

UN warns 8 million in Asia-Pacific risk poverty if Iran war drags on

A new UNDP report has forecast job losses, crippling inflation and food insecurity, with the poorest nations brutally exposed to the oil shock.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | On education equality, Hong Kong policymakers must do their homework

Authorities should think through how to promote students’ and families’ well-being in a system geared towards academic achievement.

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A school bus picks up pupils after school in Wan Chai on April 9. Photo: Jelly Tse
Africa

Benin election favours continuity amid al-Qaeda attacks, poverty

Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni has overseen a decade of growth in the West African nation despite jihadist attacks and extreme poverty.

Hong Kong housing

Landlords of 5,557 subdivided homes seek 3-year grace period to fix flats

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho says 780 subdivided homes have been granted a grace period.

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Hong Kong housing

Are new Hong Kong subdivided flat standards triggering a wave of evictions?

Basic Housing Units Ordinance takes effect on Sunday, with landlords required to make renovations to ensure properties meet new standards.

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Chan Sai-chiu has made efforts to make his home more comfortable, but he is set to be evicted to make way for renovations. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong housing

Some Hong Kong landlords spend millions fixing subdivided flats ahead of new law

As some rush to revamp subdivided flats before the new law takes effect, others hesitate, wary of exact requirements, hidden costs and uncertain returns.

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Matthew Lau is among the first landlords to rectify his properties. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Hong Kong

Video | Will Hong Kong’s new subdivided flat rules help or hurt?

Basic Housing Units policy will require subdivided units to meet new minimum standards, but current residents fear they could be priced out.

Hong Kong society

Editorial | Minimum wage rises must not leave behind city’s most vulnerable

As the economic pie grows, money-making companies can afford to do more so employees who are struggling get their fair share of return.

Indonesia

‘Wake-up call’: child deaths in Indonesia spotlight gaps in social aid

Experts warn many other such cases may not be recorded, and urge educators to be more vigilant to signs of emotional distress among students.

Nationwide health screening in Indonesia has revealed that 10 million children are at risk of mental illness, according to the country’s health minister. Photo: Shutterstock
Britain

‘Very deep poverty’ in Britain hits worst level in 30 years, report says

Report reveals that nearly 7 million people are living on well below the UK median income as the nation’s poorest get even poorer.

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A homeless person near Piccadilly Circus in central London in 2020. Poverty in Britain has deepened in recent years. Photo: AFP
Climate change

Opinion | Why we should aspire to raising living standards for all

Our history of progress shows we can care for a growing population, but only if we tackle inequality and protect the environment.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Low-income patients call for more help as steeper Hong Kong hospital fees loom

From January 1, patients will need to pay more for certain services, and while safety net will also be widened, some people have fallen through the cracks.

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