Hong Kong’s Skies Clear for Mid-Autumn Moon After Stormy Start to Season
As families across Hong Kong prepare lanterns and mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival, stargazers can finally breathe a sigh of relief: The city's famously fickle weather is set to cooperate, offering a clearer view of the full moon after weeks of turbulent skies. The Hong Kong Observatory forecast clear conditions for Monday evening, just in time for the holiday's traditional...
Typhoon Matmo Skirts Hong Kong, Keeping Winds at Signal 3 Through Sunday
Typhoon Matmo churned closer to Hong Kong on Saturday night, prompting the city's observatory to maintain its No. 3 strong wind signal into midday Sunday, though officials downplayed the odds of stronger gales battering the territory. In a late-evening update at 9:45 p.m., the Hong Kong Observatory said the storm's path would likely keep it more than 300 kilometers (186...
Philippines Mobilizes Whole-of-nation Response for Quake-Hit Cebu
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is spearheading a coordinated effort with national government agencies and non-government organizations to assist residents of Cebu province devastated by a 6.9-magnitude earthquake, officials said Sunday. The response aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to unite government and private sector resources to support Filipinos affected by...
OWWA’s New Initiative Eases Burden on Migrant Families
Overseas Filipino workers and their families gained easier access to free medical consultations and medications with the launch of a new pharmacy program by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, aiming to extend support beyond their time abroad. The “Alagang OWWA Botika” debuted Friday in Pasay City, led by OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan. The initiative is designed to combat feelings...
Hong Kong Lights Up for Mid-Autumn Festival with Mooncakes, Lanterns and Waterfront Gatherings
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches on Oct. 6, families and friends across Hong Kong are preparing to converge under the full moon's glow, savoring sweet mooncakes and igniting colorful lanterns in a tradition that blends ancient rituals with modern urban flair. This year's harvest celebration, falling on a Monday, promises a rare midweek respite amid the city's relentless pace. To...
Signal No. 3 is hoisted as Paolo intensifies into severe tropical storm
MANILA, Philippines — Severe Tropical Storm Paolo (international name Matmo) churned closer to the Philippines' northern coast Thursday night, packing fierce winds and raising fears of destructive flooding as it barrels toward a likely landfall in the coming hours. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration issued an urgent 11 p.m. bulletin warning that the storm — known internationally...
State of calamity in Cebu province as earthquake kills 69
MANILA, Philippines — A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake slammed into the central Philippines late Tuesday, killing at least 69 people and injuring dozens more as it toppled buildings, buckled roads and sent terrified residents fleeing into the streets amid relentless aftershocks. The hardest-hit province of Cebu declared a state of calamity early Wednesday, with thousands huddling outdoors overnight, their homes deemed...
Powerful Quake Kills 27 in Central Philippines; Rescuers Race Against Aftershocks
MANILA, Philippines — A shallow 6.9-magnitude earthquake slammed the central Philippines late Tuesday, toppling buildings and killing at least 27 people on Cebu island, authorities said Wednesday. With rescuers combing through rubble in the darkness amid hundreds of aftershocks, officials feared the death toll could climb higher as they searched for survivors trapped under collapsed structures. The quake struck at...
Migrant Workers’ Group Welcomes Wage Hike but Demands More for ‘Living Wage’
A leading coalition of migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong voiced mixed feelings Monday over the government's decision to raise the minimum monthly wage for foreign helpers to 5,100 Hong Kong dollars ($655), calling it a step forward but far short of the "living wage" needed to combat poverty and inflation. The Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB-IMA), the largest alliance...
Hong Kong Pushes Labor Reforms to Shield Local Jobs Amid Workforce Crunch
Hong Kong's labor chief unveiled sweeping reforms Friday to a foreign worker program, aiming to safeguard local employment while addressing chronic shortages in key industries, as the city grapples with a shrinking workforce and an aging population. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han, speaking on a radio program, detailed changes to the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme as part...
