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WorldJul 13Hong Kong police officer gets nearly 2 years for upskirt filming, gun grabA Hong Kong police officer has been sentenced to nearly two years in jail for filming upskirt footage of a woman and attempting to grab a colleague’s handgun to kill himself after his arrest last year. A deputy district judge handed down the sentence at West Kowloon Court on Monday after Constable Ko Chun-chung, 40, admitted the thrill of breaking the law drove him to commit the offence against the woman on January 15, 2025. Ko, a married father of two with 15 years of service, had been under...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 13Off-duty Hong Kong firefighter turns himself in over viral shopping centre rowAn off-duty Hong Kong firefighter has been arrested after surrendering to police over an alleged assault, the South China Morning Post has learned, following a viral video showing him shouting at and shoving a young couple in a Mong Kok shopping centre. A source said on Monday that the 48-year-old man turned himself in at Mong Kok Police Station on Sunday, accompanied by his wife. He told police he was a firefighter. “The arrestee admitted that he had acted that way as he suspected the [other]...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 13Hong Kong IB students beat the global average this year. Here’s how they did itHong Kong’s robust tutoring and exam drilling culture contributed to the exceptional performance of local students in the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, principals have said, after the city surpassed the average global score by nearly 20 per cent. At least 73 students from 17 Hong Kong schools achieved perfect scores in the latest IB Diploma Programme this year, with official data showing the city’s overall average score and its proportion of top-tier achievers significantly surpassed...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 12Hong Kong’s dog-friendly licence scheme triggers fierce online debateHong Kong’s dog-friendly restaurant scheme has sparked a fierce online debate over public hygiene and pet behaviour, while a cafe chain branch opted out of the initiative just one day after it began. While more than 940 restaurants opened their doors to owners and their dogs on Thursday, clips showing pets licking plates and sitting on dining tables and chairs have gone viral online. But other internet users also made the case that many canine diners had been well-behaved. The debate raged as a...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 1265 arrested as Hong Kong police raid unlicensed nightclubs, gambling densHong Kong police have arrested 65 people in a crackdown on a criminal syndicate accused of running unlicensed nightclubs and gambling dens, where suspects allegedly served illicit drugs and hired illegal workers as hostesses. Superintendent Ching Chi-yan said on Sunday that the force’s intelligence indicated a criminal syndicate was running illegal nightclubs inside industrial buildings in Hung Hom, as well as gambling dens in other areas of Kowloon West, prompting the operation. “Over the past...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 12Hong Kong police arrest 9 in crackdown on dangerous drivingHong Kong police have arrested nine suspects, including two who were on a wanted list, for serious driving offences during a week-long crackdown on speeding and other road safety breaches. A police spokesman said on Sunday that officers in the New Territories North region launched the law enforcement operation from July 5 to Saturday to maintain road safety on the region’s highways. “The traffic headquarters of New Territories North has found in its analysis of highway traffic situations that...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 1165 arrested in Hong Kong crackdown targeting illicit triad-linked income sourcesHong Kong police have arrested 65 people, including 11 sex workers and 54 others involved in suspected illegal gambling, in a two-day joint crackdown with fire services and immigration authorities targeting triad-linked income sources. The force said on Saturday that another three people were issued summonses for running an illegal petrol station during the joint operation conducted on Thursday and Friday. Superintendent Lui Sze-ho said officers raided five illegal gambling parlours and four...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 11Filipino workers in Hong Kong ‘recruited as surrogates for Central Asian couples’The Philippine consulate in Hong Kong is investigating allegations that domestic helpers are being recruited in the city to become surrogate mothers for couples in Central Asia for up to 1 million pesos (US$16,220). At least five Filipino domestic helpers recruited in Hong Kong said they were not paid the promised amount despite carrying babies to full term, with one woman told that the child born from surrogacy had “defects”. The consulate told the South China Morning Post that it was looking...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 10Hong Kong and Shenzhen the perfect end points for modern Silk Road: leading economistProminent economist Jeffrey Sachs says he chose Hong Kong and Shenzhen as the final stop on an overland journey retracing the footsteps of Marco Polo because of their significant role in powering the world’s green and digital age. The Columbia University professor set off from Rome on June 13 for a 43-day, 15,000km (9,300-mile) journey, the Marco Polo Drive of Peace, Culture and Sustainable Development. The former adviser to the UN secretary general said the journey was designed to send a...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 102 women arrested at Hong Kong border after dog, endangered birds found in bagsHong Kong customs officers have arrested two women at the border for allegedly smuggling animals after they were separately found with a dog worth HK$3,000 (US$380) and two endangered birds that could be sold for a total of HK$5,000. The Customs and Excise Department said on Friday that it had intercepted a 57-year-old mainland Chinese woman at the Lo Wu checkpoint’s arrival hall a day earlier and discovered the dog concealed inside her sling bag. The dog was estimated to have a market value of...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 10Former top prosecutor in Hong Kong court over injuring man while drink-drivingA Hong Kong prosecutor turned barrister is facing criminal charges over allegations that he seriously injured a man while driving under the influence of alcohol earlier this year. Franco Kuan Bak-on, 45, appeared in Sha Tin Court on Friday to face charges of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and driving a motor vehicle with alcohol concentration in his breath exceeding the legal limit. Police arrested Kuan at around 1.50am on January 11 after he allegedly drove recklessly along Hung...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 9A World of Opportunity Begins at Canadian International School of Hong Kong[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Choosing the right school is about more than achieving outstanding examination results. It is about preparing young people with the confidence, resilience and global perspective to succeed wherever life takes them. In an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing world, families are looking for more than academic excellence - they want an education that equips their children with the curiosity, resilience and...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 98 Hong Kong teens arrested over taking cash from gang to splash paint on doorsEight teenagers have been arrested after allegedly being recruited via social media by a crime syndicate to splash paint on the doors of flats and businesses across Hong Kong to intimidate debtors. The four boys and four girls were apprehended alongside a 24-year-old man on suspicion of criminal damage and conspiracy to commit criminal damage as part of a citywide police operation on Tuesday and Wednesday. The force said on Thursday that a crime syndicate had used popular social media platforms...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 9176 child abuse cases in 5 months after start of Hong Kong’s new reporting regimeSouth China Morning Post
WorldJul 9AI and economy fuel stress for 40% of DSE candidates: Hong Kong youth group pollFewer Hong Kong university entrance exam candidates reported high stress levels compared with last year, but nearly 40 per cent cited artificial intelligence (AI) and the economic outlook as their top sources of stress, a survey has found. Releasing the findings of its “Further Education Planning Survey” on Thursday, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups attributed the pressure to concerns that AI would increasingly replace entry-level jobs. The poll surveyed 1,241 secondary students,...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 9More than 900 Hong Kong restaurants welcome dogs on day 1 of pet-licensing schemeMore than 900 restaurants and eateries in Hong Kong opened their doors to customers with dogs on the first day of a scheme allowing canines into restaurants, marking the end of a 30-year ban enacted to protect against rabies. Chinese restaurants, fast food chains and coffee shops on Thursday welcomed their first groups of customers with dogs, who flocked to eateries across the city to dine with their beloved pets. Under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s scheme, 940 approved...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 9Woman, 50, arrested for murder after minibus stop fight in Hong KongHong Kong police have arrested a 50-year-old woman after she became involved in a brawl at a minibus station with another woman who later died. A police spokesman said officers received a report at 10.31pm on Wednesday that the two women were fighting at the minibus stop outside Wah Chui House at Wah Fu (II) Estate in Aberdeen. When officers arrived at the scene, a 53-year-old woman was found lying unconscious on the ground. She was taken to Queen Mary Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 8Hong Kong rail operator taps star power to promote safer escalator useHong Kong’s rail operator has launched a new advertising campaign featuring veteran actor Kent Cheng Jak-si, aiming to discourage the long-standing commuter habit of walking on escalators after reports of more than 500 related accidents annually. In the MTR Corporation’s promotional video, to be shown in stations and on social media, the 75-year-old actor demonstrates safe escalator use, drawing on a catchphrase from his role as the ancient Chinese politician Dong Zhao in a 2012 TVB...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 8Stars, vintage toys and comic masters all out to slay Hong Kong anime fairHong Kong’s annual anime fair will return with its biggest edition yet, boosting capacity by 20 per cent and featuring a record 201 exhibitors, alongside live sketches by local comic masters and a vintage toy collectibles exhibition. The organiser of Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong (ACGHK) on Wednesday announced that its 27th edition would be able to accommodate 38,000 participants, 7,000 more than last year’s event, and host a record 201 exhibitors, up from 160 in 2025. The event will run from July...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 8Hong Kong survivors push to close ‘consent loophole’ in reforms to sex crime lawsHong Kong women’s rights advocates and sexual assault survivors have urged authorities to close a loophole that allows defendants to claim an honest but mistaken belief in consent before a sexual act, warning that it could undermine proposed reforms. The Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women and survivor group We Are X on Wednesday said the government’s updated stricter definitions of consent should also be extended to this long-standing defence. “If we agree that the defendant...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 8Gen Z underestimates impact of social media on loneliness, Hong Kong poll findsMembers of Hong Kong’s Generation Z tend to underestimate the negative impact of social media on their mental health and those who frequently use the online platforms are lonelier than those who do not, a survey has found. The Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS) polled 572 young people aged 11 to 24 between September to December last year to better understanding the relationship between their use of social media and their level of isolation. About 54 per cent of respondents were junior secondary...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 8Hong Kong universities snap up office and retail sites amid classroom crunchAt least six universities in Hong Kong have moved into office buildings or shopping centres over the past three years as classroom space has tightened amid rising non-local enrolment, according to the latest data. Among them is the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), which spent HK$345.4 million (US$44 million) in 2025 to acquire a 31,410 sq ft campus in Admiralty for its business school teaching centre. The university unveiled the centre on Tuesday on the fourth floor of...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 7Joy and tears as Hong Kong students receive secondary school allocationsHong Kong’s Primary Six students received their secondary school results on Tuesday after years of hard work, with many elated and some already deciding what subject to major in at university or considering pathways to studying overseas. Tears of joy and relief filled the school hall at Yaumati Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road) as students and parents received their long-awaited secondary school allocation results. Among them was 12-year-old Carmen Leung Ka-man, who collapsed into her...South China Morning Post
WorldJul 7Before we hail Hong Kong cinema’s return, let’s ensure its survivalThe Furious, Hong Kong’s latest action flick, is crushing it on Rotten Tomatoes and has garnered critical acclaim abroad – proof of what human-centric filmmaking can still deliver in today’s market. But before we rush to hail the return of Hong Kong cinema, a new breed of drama factory is quietly generating content at a velocity no human team could ever match. In mainland China, micro dramas generated by artificial intelligence (AI) have turned the industry upside down. A production schedule...South China Morning Post
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