One Hong Kong hiker has died, and another one survived after being rescued from a Japanese mountain, according to media reports.

Japanese TV Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting (CBC) reported on Tuesday afternoon that two men, believed to be Chinese nationals, were stranded on Mount Okuhotaka, Japan’s third-highest peak, resulting in one fatality.

According to CBC, Japanese police received a report on Sunday that a 22-year-old man, who lived in Tokyo, and a 30-year-old man were stuck on Mount Okuhotaka – the highest peak of the Hida Mountains – in Gifu Prefecture due to poor weather conditions.

The two were reportedly trapped at a 3,163-metre rocky ridge known as “Gendarme,” located west of the Mount Okuhotaka summit.

Earlier search and rescue operations were called off due to persistent bad weather, CBC reported. “A search operation by a Nagano Prefecture disaster relief helicopter began this morning, and both individuals were recovered by 3pm,” it said.

The 30-year-old was sent to hospital in a conscious state and survived, but the 22-year-old was pronounced dead.

Some Threads users said on Monday that two Hong Kong residents were stranded in the Hida Mountains, also known as the Northern Japan Alps, the city’s local media said on Tuesday.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department told local media on Monday that it had received requests for assistance regarding the incident.

The department told HKFP on Tuesday that it had sent staff to accompany the victims’ families to Japan to provide assistance.

The death toll from a giant explosion at a fireworks factory in central China rose to 26, with 61 more injured, officials said Tuesday.

The explosion occurred at around 4:43 pm on Monday at the Liuyang Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company in Liuyang, Hunan province, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Following the blast, all fireworks makers in Hunan’s provincial capital Changsha, which administers Liuyang, had been ordered to stop production ahead of safety inspections, CCTV said.

Videos on social media from Monday showed continuous explosions accompanied by a vast cloud of smoke rising high into the air in a rural area surrounded by mountains.

Drone footage from CCTV taken a day later showed a swathe of smouldering debris where buildings had stood, with rescue workers and excavators scouring the rubble.

Smoke continued to rise from some buildings left standing, many of them with their roofs blown off.

Changsha mayor Chen Bozhang told a news conference on Tuesday afternoon that another five people had died since earlier reports that 21 were killed.

“We feel deeply grieved and filled with remorse,” Chen said, adding that search and rescue work was “basically complete”.

The central government had sent experts to guide rescue efforts, while more than 480 rescuers had been urgently dispatched to the site, according to CCTV.

They had established a 3-kilometre (1.9-mile) control zone around the site and evacuated people nearby.

Police had apprehended the company’s management while investigations into the cause of the accident continue, CCTV said.

President Xi Jinping had called for “all-out efforts” to treat the injured, search for missing persons, and for those responsible to be held accountable, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Liuyang is a major fireworks hub, producing around 60 percent of the fireworks sold in China and 70 percent of those exported.

Industrial accidents, including in the fireworks industry, are common in China due to lax safety standards.

Last year, an explosion at another fireworks factory in Hunan killed nine people, and in 2023, three people were killed after blasts struck residential buildings in the northern city of Tianjin.

In February, separate explosions at fireworks shops in Hubei and Jiangsu provinces killed 12 and eight people.

By Joy Chiang

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Tuesday the democratic island has the “right to engage with the world”, after he returned from a trip to Africa that Taipei has accused Beijing of trying to derail.

Taiwan said China applied “intense pressure” to Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar to revoke overflight permits for Lai’s original trip to Eswatini — Taipei’s only ally in Africa — which had been scheduled for April 22-26.

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island’s participation in international organisations and exchanges with other countries.

“Taiwanese people are people of the world; Taiwanese people have the right to engage with the world,” Lai told reporters at Taipei’s international airport after his flight home on the Eswatini king’s plane.

Lai flew on the king’s aircraft to Eswatini on Saturday.

“We will not shrink back because of suppression,” Lai said, flanked by Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla, who had flown to Taiwan with him and his delegation.

“Mutual visits between heads of state should be the most ordinary thing, just like when we go out to visit friends, and are a basic right of every country.”

The United States slammed China’s “intimidation campaign” after Lai’s trip was delayed. The remarks were rejected by China’s foreign minister as “baseless accusations”.

On Saturday, China’s foreign ministry accused Lai of making a “stowaway-style escape farce” that made him “an international laughing stock”.

‘Sanctions’

Eswatini, a small enclave kingdom formerly known as Swaziland, is one of 12 countries that still recognise Taiwan. China has persuaded other nations to break diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island.

Lai had planned to visit Eswatini from April 22 to 26 for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday.

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung went instead after Lai’s trip was postponed.

A Taiwanese security official, who requested anonymity in order to speak to the media, said previously that China had threatened “to revoke substantial debt relief granted to (Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar), halt financing and impose further economic sanctions”.

On May 1, China extended a zero-tariff policy to all African countries except Eswatini under a policy announced last year.

Lai’s last official overseas trip was in November 2024, when he visited Taiwan’s Pacific allies and transited through the US territory of Guam.

Trump’s administration reportedly denied Lai permission to transit through New York last year as part of an official trip to Latin America. Taiwan’s foreign ministry denied that he was blocked.

Hong Kong authorities have proposed tightening the regulation of claw machine shops by implementing a licensing regime to curb addiction risks.

The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau’s proposal, included in a document submitted to the Legislative Council (LegCo) on Monday, comes as claw machine shops proliferate in the city as a low-maintenance business opportunity.

“Since these activities may involve gaming elements or addiction risks, appropriate restrictions on format or content may be necessary to protect participants, especially youth, from physical or mental harm or significant financial loss,” the bureau said.

The government seeks to introduce new requirements, such as posting a notice indicating that devices are licensed. The bureau is also considering mandatory addiction warning labels on machines.

A list of licensed premises has also been uploaded to the Home Affairs Department’s Office of the Licensing Authority, the document read.

The tightened regulations will function under the city’s Gambling Ordinance, which currently stipulates that claw machine shops must hold an Amusement With Prizes Licence (AWPL). Before that licence can be granted, a venue must hold a public entertainment licence.

However, a 2022 High Court ruling determined that claw machines do not meet the definition of “entertainment” and thus do not require a public entertainment licence, creating a regulatory gap.

The bureau is proposing to remove the requirement for a public entertainment licence and allow the Home Affairs Department to issue AWPLs directly.

Prize caps, addiction risks

Speaking on an RTHK programme, lawmaker Vincent Cheng said he agreed with the government’s proposal in principle but asked the authorities to consider whether the new curbs would stamp out the business.

“We have to consider whether [the regulation] will affect the industry’s development,” he said, urging the government to “strike a balance.”

Lawmaker Bill Tang, who chairs the LegCo Panel on Home Affairs, Culture and Sports, welcomed the tightened regulations, saying that some claw machine operations had “evolved” beyond their original leisurely purpose.

Prizes in certain machines now include high-value items such as mobile phones, encouraging gambling behaviour, Tang said. He proposed a HK$5 limit on the fee for each game and that the value of each prize be capped at HK$300.

The bureau has also proposed to regulate internet cafes, moving away from a Code of Practice model and introducing a mandatory licensing system.

One option is to bring internet cafes in line with the regulatory regime for traditional gaming arcades, imposing strict age restrictions for adult- or children-only venues and a ban on students in school uniform.

Another model would be to allow cafes to operate if they meet strict safety conditions.

The proposals are scheduled to be discussed at the legislature on Monday.

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has announced that tax revenue jumped by 22 per cent in the 2025-26 fiscal year, hitting a record high of HK$458.3 billion.

Unveiling the provisional tax figures at a press conference on Monday, Benjamin Chan, commissioner of Inland Revenue, attributed the rise partly to rallies in the property and stock markets.

Revenue from stamp duty – a tax imposed on the transfer of property or assets – reached HK$102.6 billion in 2025-26, a 61 per cent rise from the previous period.

Chan said the IRD also noticed a rise in the income of Hong Kong taxpayers and a higher number of companies paying profits tax.

In 2025-26, the tax office collected HK$212.6 billion in profits tax – a 20 per cent increase from 2024-25 – and HK$97.7 billion in salaries tax – a 10 per cent rise.

“The department’s revenue collection in 2025-26 was HK$458.3 billion, which is a record high,” Chan said.

The government previously logged HK$341.4 billion in tax revenue in 2018-19, a record high at the time, according to an IRD annual report.

The tax revenue declined afterwards – until the 2024-25 fiscal year, which recorded HK$374.5 billion, a 9.5 per cent increase from the previous period.

2.77 million tax returns issued

Chan also said on Monday that the IRD had issued about 2.77 million tax returns for individuals for the 2025-26, an increase of 115,000 from the previous year.

The commissioner also encouraged taxpayers to file their tax returns through eTAX, which is more environmentally friendly and helps ensure they reach the IRD in time. 

An extension of one month will be granted for returns filed electronically, according to the IRD.

China’s Wu Yize won the World Snooker Championship for the first time with a dramatic 18-17 victory over Shaun Murphy in the final on Monday.

Wu held his nerve to seal his thrilling triumph in a tense last frame shoot-out at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

The 22-year-old is the second Chinese player to win the world title after Zhao Xintong beat Mark Williams to make history as the first Asian to lift the trophy last year.

Wu is also the second youngest player to be crowned world champion at the Crucible after Stephen Hendry, who was 21 when he won in 1990.

“I have been trying to go for this for ages. For the past few months, I have been living the same life. I’m so happy that I could play well today,” Wu said.

Wu’s father and mother wiped away tears of joy before joining him for the trophy presentation.

“My parents are the true champions. Since I made the decision to drop out of school, my dad has been by my side,” Wu said.

“My mum has also been going through a lot over the years, they are the source of my strength, I love them so much.”

Asked how he will celebrate, Wu said: “I just want to have a good sleep. I have been feeling nerves all the time since before the match, so now I just want to go to bed!”

Murphy, who has lost four World Championship finals since winning in 2005, added: “I hate being right, but we had a great game in China earlier this season. I came out afterwards and said he would be world champion one day.

“It’s just a real shame that it was today, but I couldn’t have given it any more. I played the best shots I could. I just didn’t get my chance.”

Wu’s title march

Wu led 10-7 after Sunday’s play and was 13-12 up following the first session on Monday.

But England’s Murphy pushed Wu all the way to the finish line, levelling at 16-16 with a gritty century break.

Wu recovered from 45-0 down to record a brilliant 91 clearance to go 17-16 ahead.

He moved 43-0 up with the title in his sights, but a missed black gave Murphy the chance to draw level again with a 75 break.

The balance of power in the final frame tipped Wu’s way when Murphy left a difficult red that the Chinese player stroked into the middle pocket, kick-starting a break of 85 that took him to the title.

It was the first World Championship final to go to the deciding frame since Peter Ebdon beat Hendry 18-17 in 2002.

From Lanzhou in the north-west of China, Wu turned professional aged 17 and made a transformative move to England three years ago to join the growing stable of Chinese players based in Sheffield.

Initially living in a windowless flat and sleeping on the same bed as his father, Wu’s switch eventually paid dividends.

Runners-up finishes at the English Open and Scottish Open in 2024 laid the foundations for the emerging star’s march to the world title.

He beat John Higgins in the International Championship last year to clinch his first ranking title.

The youngest player in the world’s top 16, his run at this year’s World Championship included eye-catching wins against Mark Selby and Mark Allen.

Ronnie O’Sullivan once labelled Wu a “more dynamic” version of the legendary Steve Davis.

Like O’Sullivan and Davis, Wu can now call himself a world champion.

A former police officer who led daily press briefings during the 2019 protests and unrest has been appointed to a top post leading the Hong Kong government’s media relations department.

Authorities announced on Monday that John Tse would begin the role as head of the Information Services Department (ISD) on Tuesday.

Tse was previously appointed in June 2024 as an information coordinator at the Chief Executive’s Office, where he formulates public relations and media strategies.

Prior to that, he was a communications secretary at the office, whose responsibilities included managing Chief Executive John Lee’s social media, and the principal assistant secretary in the Security Bureau.

Tse is best known as the former chief superintendent of the police force’s public relations branch.

He led daily press conferences during the anti-extradition protests in 2019, when police would announce arrest figures and deployments.

In 2020, Tse was awarded the chief executive’s “commendation for government/public service” for his “outstanding contribution in relation to the handling of social incidents.”

‘Most suitable candidate’

Tse’s appointment as director of the Information Services Department comes after the government launched open recruitment for the position, as well as for the head of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

The recruitment broke the authorities’ long-standing tradition of appointing administrative officers to top roles. The requirements for the jobs included “political acumen.”

According to the government statement on Monday, Tse was identified as “the most suitable candidate” following a selection process.

“Mr Tse has extensive experience in public administration, is highly skilled in handling media and public relations, and possesses outstanding leadership and management capabilities,” Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said in the statement.

Tse was rumoured to be up for the job even before the government announced the recruitment.

According to political insiders in October, Tse would be replacing then-ISD chief Apollonia Liu, who at the time was rumoured to be moving to the permanent secretary role at the Security Bureau. Liu took up the new post in February.

Hundreds of people descended on Ham Tin Beach in Sai Kung on Saturday, the second day of the Labour Day Golden Week holiday in mainland China.

The tranquil spot is one of the many attractions in Hong Kong that have gained popularity on mainland Chinese social media platforms in recent months, prompting concerns about overtourism and environmental damage.

See also: Tourists flock to Hong Kong countryside as city records 600,000 arrivals in first 2 days of Golden Week

When HKFP visited Ham Tin Beach on Saturday afternoon, there were around 200 people, most of whom were mainland tourists. They were spotted setting up tents, while some of them were cooking and eating food.

Burnt twigs suggested some had started fires on the beach. There were also cigarette butts and other trash left behind.

Officers from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) patrolled the area and asked visitors to pick up after themselves.

Environmental NGO Greenpeace, which has urged authorities to do more to protect against overtourism and ecological damage to Hong Kong’s countryside, has criticised the government’s measures as lacking deterrence.

China’s Wu Yize is on track to win the World Snooker Championship after building a 10-7 lead against Shaun Murphy in the final on Sunday.

The 22-year-old’s superb long potting and composed break-building ensured he would go into Monday’s deciding sessions in pole position to lift the trophy for the first time.

Wu’s clearance of 91 in the last frame of Sunday’s action kept 2005 winner Murphy at bay after he threatened to close the gap to one frame.

Wu is aiming to become the second Chinese player to win the title at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre after Zhao Xintong’s historic victory over Mark Williams in last year’s final.

He needs to win eight more frames to secure the silverware in his maiden World Championship final.

The drama on the baize was mirrored in the arena with a female spectator thrown out by security officials after shouting out and apparently trying to invade the stage midway through the third frame of the match.

Frequent phone interruptions irritated England’s Murphy, leading referee Rob Spencer to admonish the audience at the start of each session.

Wu stepped up a gear after appearing to show some ill-effects from his late-night semi-final win over Mark Allen when the final began on Sunday afternoon, letting a hard-earned 3-0 lead dissolve into a 4-4 tie after the first eight frames.

He was suddenly looking fragile, missing easy shots and reluctant to go for his trademark long pots, and the experienced Murphy sensed weakness, powering in the first century of the final to extend Wu’s frustration.

The Chinese player rallied in the afternoon’s final frame, firing nine reds and eight blacks before jawing a black to the middle pocket and riding his luck as Murphy’s protracted search for snookers came to nothing.

Wu, bidding to become the second youngest player to win the tournament after Stephen Hendry, got back on track in the evening session.

Breaks of 82 and 103 saw him establish a 6-4 lead, and he retained his two-frame advantage at the interval after cancelling out Murphy’s well-taken response of 75 in the 11th frame.

Murphy fashioned a strong chance to escape the evening just one adrift, but played a poor shot after taking a lead of 39, allowing Wu to ram in another long red as he established a potentially decisive lead in the final.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) has said it was ordered to pay HK$730,000 in provisional taxes within days and has accused the city’s tax authorities of misallocating public resources with audits on independent media.

HKJA chairperson Selina Cheng held a press conference on Monday morning – ahead of an Inland Revenue Department (IRD) press conference in the afternoon – to disclose the tax demand and to update on tax audits faced by media outlets and individuals linked to the independent media industry.

Cheng said the HKJA received a letter from the IRD on April 13, demanding that the press union “pay the HK$730,000 provisional tax within two days.”

This year’s amount is more than double that of last year, when the HKJA had to pay HK$300,000 prepaid taxes.

In May last year, the union first revealed that the city’s independent news sector has been facing simultaneous tax audits and backdated demands, affecting six media outlets, including HKFP, and 20 individuals linked to the independent media sector.

Since then, the union has been notified of a “small number” of new cases, Cheng added, without elaborating further.

Cheng also said that four tax investigations had since closed, including those of Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) and InMedia.

HKFP’s tax probe was settled with a HK$57,692 payment, including penalties, last year, following a 20-month investigation spanning seven years of records. HKFP chose to settle to avoid the likely prohibitive cost of further disputing a modest discrepancy.

The alleged HK$3,020 underpayment in the 2021-22 assessment year was worth 0.78 per cent of HKFP’s income that year.

“The settlement paid by HKFP represented a 135 per cent penalty surcharge, which surpassed the maximum surcharge stipulated by the IRD for a penalty imposed after prompt and full disclosure,” Cheng said.

“The highest penalty surcharge for a prompt disclosure upon receiving a tax probe stands at 100 per cent, according to the IRD.”

HKFP has not complained to the IRD or HKJA of over-charging.

InMedia contested its tax demand, finding that it had owed nothing in taxes, but had to shell out HK$40,000 in administrative and accounting fees to challenge the investigation, the HKJA head said.

“They were found to be at zero fault, but they spent HK$40,000 on auditing and accounting fees, as well as countless hours that they spent themselves on handling paperwork and books,” Cheng said.

She added that the tax audits into one reporter and an independent journalist had also been closed.

‘Undue stress and unfair punishment’

Cheng said that the IRD’s investigations into the independent media industry had diverted public resources away from identifying unpaid taxes by high-value individuals and companies with a clear intent to evade taxes.

She pointed out that the settlements from the probes paled compared with the average backdated tax payment and penalty, which reached HK$1.6 million in the 2024-25 tax year and HK$1.7 million a year earlier, according to official figures and the union’s calculations.

“I accept that for the purpose of law enforcement, there needs to be some random checks, but clearly this is not random,” she said of the IRD’s tax audits into the media sector. “It also imposes undue stress and unfair punishment on the media.”

The tax probes also appeared to be aligning with practices in countries that have charged journalists with tax evasion and fraud “to undermine their credibility,” Cheng said.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday afternoon, Inland Revenue Commissioner Benjamin Chan dismissed claims the department had targeted the media sector, adding that the IRD was not able to comment on individual cases due to its privacy terms.

“In our procedures, the IRD does not consider the background or occupation of taxpayers. We are only considering whether there is any risk of a case underpaying or evading taxes,” he said.

The Chinese captain of a ship that Sweden boarded this weekend over suspicions it belonged to Russia’s “shadow fleet” has been arrested, the Swedish prosecution authority said on Monday.

Sweden’s coast guard on Sunday boarded the 182-metre (597-foot) Jin Hui, suspected of sailing under a false Syrian flag. It was the latest of several boardings carried out by the Scandinavian country.

Moscow’s “shadow fleet” consists of vessels used to skirt Western sanctions.

They are often ageing ships in poor condition, without proper insurance and with opaque ownership, raising concerns about the risk of an accident.

The Jin Hui is on the sanctions lists of the EU, Britain and Ukraine, Sweden’s Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said on Sunday.

The captain, a Chinese national, was arrested “on suspicion of using a forged document” and of violating Sweden’s maritime code regarding “lack of seaworthiness”, the prosecution authority said in a statement.

“An interrogation of the detainee will be held during the day and contact has been initiated with other authorities and countries,” the prosecutor leading the investigation, Adrien Combier-Hogg, said.

Over 60 per cent of Hong Kong’s homeless are unfamiliar with how to apply for medical waivers, and nearly three-fifths are reducing medical visits due to increased public hospital fees, an NGO has found.

ImpactHK, which serves the city’s homeless, surveyed 120 people from February 1 to March 31 to understand how medical fee reforms were affecting the community.

The survey was done after a sweeping public hospital fee overhaul came into effect on January 1, which increased prices of some services, such as accident and emergency (A&E).

At the same time, authorities relaxed the threshold for medical waivers, allowing more people to qualify for more affordable healthcare.

ImpactHK’s survey, however, found that only 38.7 per cent of respondents indicated they understood how to apply for the waivers.

Around 32 per cent said they had a slight idea, while almost 30 per cent said they had no knowledge at all.

Citing its figure that 73 per cent of respondents knew that the fee waivers existed, ImpactHK said there was a “high awareness, low mastery” gap.

It urged the government to simplify documentation requirements for the waiver applications. Currently, applicants must submit income proof for at least the past six months.

The NGO said that the homeless face challenges in keeping documents in order while living on the streets, which are subject to frequent sweeps by authorities.

Some banks charge HK$50 for each physical monthly statement, and while access to digital statements may be exempt from administrative fees, it is difficult for those who are homeless to have a smartphone and a phone number, the NGO said.

ImpactHK urged automatic fee waivers for people experiencing homelessness who are registered with outreach teams to “bypass the digital and administrative divide.”

It also said that NGOs should be allowed to act as correspondence addresses for those who are homeless, as they do not have a fixed abode.

60% cutting hospital visits

The increased public hospital fees were part of the government’s sweeping subsidy reforms, which authorities said were needed to strengthen the sustainability of the healthcare system.

Under the new pricing structure, A&E patients classified as urgent, semi-urgent or non-urgent – per the Hospital Authority’s five-tier triage system – are charged HK$400, up from HK$180. Those categorised as critical or emergency are treated for free.

Fees for general outpatient clinics and specialist outpatient clinics also increased.

According to ImpactHK’s survey, almost 60 per cent of respondents said they were reducing their trips to the hospital as a result of the increased fees.

Almost 30 per cent said they were seeking other subsidised alternatives for medical services, and around 13 per cent said they were cutting down on other expenses to handle the burden of increased medical fees.

See also: Less-urgent visits to Hong Kong public hospitals’ A&Es down 21% after fee rise

Regarding the medical waiver applications, ImpactHK said around one-third of respondents indicated they were worried that the information they provided would be insufficient and that the process would take too long.

The NGO also said the current waiver threshold of HK$7,575 for a single-person household was “unrealistically low.” It proposed increasing the threshold to the median monthly income, which stands at HK$10,500 as of the last quarter of 2025.