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Poverty

Poverty

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Poverty. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

A subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong housing

Hong Kong may extend grace period to 3 years to fix subdivided flats: sources

Insiders say landlords will also need to pay a registration fee of between HK$1,000 and HK$3,000 for landlords to operate legally.

19 Mar 2025 - 9:34PM

China's economic recovery

China’s Xi Jinping calls for economic transition on Guizhou visit

19 Mar 2025 - 11:07AMvideocam

Two Sessions 2025

Amid ‘serious unemployment’, China wants to create over 12 million urban jobs

6 Mar 2025 - 11:20AM

Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Hong Kong minimum wage rise to benefit working poor

While proposed first hourly increase is a modest one, every little bit helps for Hong Kong’s cleaners and other low-paid workers.

5 Mar 2025 - 6:45AM

A cleaner wipes handrail at a commercial building in Central, Hong Kong. Photo: Nora Tam

Ageing Australians face a homeless retirement as rents soar

Most Australian retirees who privately rent have been pushed into poverty and don’t have enough savings to keep paying, a new report shows.

10 Feb 2025 - 9:03AM

US-China trade war

Opinion | Another US-China trade war? How about a war on income inequality

Instead of hiking tariffs, the US and China should focus on reducing their wealth gaps so more people can enjoy the benefits of trade.

9 Feb 2025 - 3:53PMvideocam

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Hong Kong housing

Hong Kong leader vows to tackle housing issues; 2 community spaces to open

John Lee also says tenants can move into the first batch of light housing flats by March.

26 Jan 2025 - 7:58PM

Chief Executive John Lee helps prepare food at a community living room. Photo: Handout

World Economic Forum

Opinion | Can world leaders at Davos truly succeed in ‘reimagining growth’?

Some ideas in Davos are naive, but others recognise that collective approaches and free flows of capital are steps to sustainable growth.

19 Jan 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

Editorial | Hong Kong meal coupons provide more food for thought

City scheme involving the government and five restaurants will help feed the elderly and disadvantaged.

17 Jan 2025 - 6:30AM

Hong Kong society

Food coupons being dished out to 50,000 elderly Hongkongers for HK$25 meals

Residents will get five coupons which they can use to pay a discounted price of HK$25 for each of five designated meals offered at restaurants in the scheme.

14 Jan 2025 - 10:23PM

Chef Secretary Eric Chan (fourth left) attends the launch ceremony with representatives from the catering Industry and groups serving the elderly. Photo: Sun Yeung

The Philippines

Video | Living among the dead in a Manila cemetery

Thousands of Manila’s poorest eke out a living by hawking goods and cleaning tombs while living atop mausoleums in the Philippine capital’s oldest cemetery

12 Jan 2025 - 9:28AM

Living among the dead in one of the Philippines' largest and oldest cemeteries

Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hongkongers deserve credit for getting through a tough 2024

If John Lee had hoped to rally people to rise to the challenge of 2025 in his New Year’s address, he should have learned from Xi Jinping’s focus on people.

6 Jan 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

As Indonesia’s poverty struggles persist, Prabowo’s growth goals look elusive

Indonesia’s new president wants to transform his nation into an high-income economy by 2045, but the fight against poverty is far from won.

5 Jan 2025 - 3:00PM

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong group gives government failing grade on efforts to help children

Children’s Rights Association gives score of 26 out of 100, naming housing as its biggest concern, followed by medical services and education for 2025.

1 Jan 2025 - 6:52PM

A boy does homework in a subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po after moving to Hong Kong from Guangdong province. Photo: Eugene Lee

Food and agriculture

Opinion | Next Christmas, let’s do more to feed the world’s hungry

The world produces enough to feed all its people, but we still suffer from huge amounts of food waste and millions not having enough to eat.

26 Dec 2024 - 5:59PMvideocam

People carry bags of food after visiting the Welcome Hall Mission grocery service for those experiencing food insecurity in Montreal on December 19. A report by food rescue organisation Second Harvest found 21.18 tonnes, or 46.5 per cent of all food produced in Canada, is wasted every year. That ranks Canada among the most wasteful countries in the world. Photo: AFP

Ethnic minorities in Hong Kong

Letters | ‘Ethnic minority problems’ are really education and poverty problems

Readers discuss the negative stereotypes associated with Hongkongers of South Asian origin, a stumbling block in a controversial housing plan, and China’s automation.

16 Dec 2024 - 11:30AM

Opinion | Spate of random killings rooted in China’s social and economic despair

The mental trauma from pandemic controls and the economic slump have led to feelings of helplessness and despair that cannot be ignored.

4 Dec 2024 - 9:30AMvideocam

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China food security

China announces plan to cut food waste at production, transport and storage end

Amid climate change and geopolitical pressures, Communist Party aims to raise public awareness about saving food, waste and healthy eating.

30 Nov 2024 - 6:00PMvideocam

China is cracking down on food waste. Photo: Xinhua

Hong Kong housing

Cheaper homes at risk in Hong Kong plan to wipe out substandard flats: operator

Concern group also says tenants affected by plan will need help relocating as they may be left with few affordable options.

28 Nov 2024 - 8:21PM

Opinion | Can Global South and G20 lead new era of poverty reduction?

The credibility of developing countries in the fight against poverty stems from lived experience rather than theoretical discourse.

26 Nov 2024 - 4:31PM

Opinion | China offers world an optimistic problem-solving framework

China’s collectivist world view isn’t about undermining individuality but about emphasising interdependence. The idea could reshape global governance.

24 Nov 2024 - 10:31AMvideocam

Chinese President Xi Jinping with other world leaders at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18. Photo: Reuters

‘Don’t have a choice’: Rohingya child brides trapped in Malaysia’s refugee crisis

Rohingya girls as young as 12 are being forced into marriage in Malaysia, escaping dire conditions in Bangladesh refugee camp.

23 Nov 2024 - 5:00PMvideocam

Nor Anis Syazwani collects preliminary health data upon patients’ arrival at an MSF mobile clinic in Penang, Malaysia. Photo: Steven Ooi/MSF

Opinion | World must forge ahead with globalisation, with or without the US

Washington has long resisted efforts to reform the Western-centric international order. Now Trump appears poised to withdraw from it altogether.

23 Nov 2024 - 8:28AMvideocam

Ex-Microsoft director’s mission to get disadvantaged girls to university

John Wood’s charity U-Go gives scholarships to help young women in low-income countries in Asia and Africa get a university education.

20 Nov 2024 - 7:15AMvideocam

G20 summit begins with Brazilian host laying out ambitious global priorities

Anti-poverty agenda set by Brazil’s leader gains some initial support, but progress is threatened by instability and conflict around the world.

21 Nov 2024 - 6:44AMvideocam

The G20 Summit opens on Monday at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: EPA-EFE

Hong Kong society

Letters | Nothing wrong with asking Hong Kong tycoons to act for greater good

Readers discuss Xia Baolong’s call for business leaders to support the city’s growth, potential new Hong Kong attractions and facing up to depression.

18 Nov 2024 - 11:30AM

The sun sets behind Hong Kong’s skyline on November 1. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong housing

93% of children in Hong Kong subdivided flats have spinal issues: survey

Children not having proper desks to do homework is the main reason for problems, Society for Community Organisation says.

17 Nov 2024 - 9:34PMvideocam

Women candidates signal potential shift in Sri Lanka’s male-dominated politics

While analysts welcome the increase, they caution that more women in politics alone won’t challenge patriarchal norms and achieve true gender equality.

13 Nov 2024 - 9:43PM

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