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WORLDAug 13How Hong Kong can protect manual workers bearing brunt of heatwaveAt a bustling fruit store in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, a crowd of workers sporting damp towels around their necks or fan vests buy up chilled drinks to stay hydrated as temperatures hit 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 Fahrenheit) on a busy weekday morning. Soaked in sweat, 29-year-old construction worker Yau is among those buying a litre of water to help beat the heat on Wednesday. “I spend at least HK$100 per day to buy water these days. It is expensive, and I get poor just drinking water to survive...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 13Biology remarking makes DSE student one of Hong Kong’s 25 top scorersA Form Six student has become one of Hong Kong’s top scorers in this year’s university entrance examinations after her biology grade was upgraded following a remarking request, bringing the record-breaking total to 25 students from 16 schools who achieved perfect scores. Sunny Sun Wat-ching, an 18-year-old student at NT Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School who sat the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE), originally attained Level 5** in all subjects except biology, in which she had...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 12Hong Kong’s subdivided flats are turning into heat traps. But what’s the fix?Retiree Yang Fangxin’s 72 sq ft rooftop home, located on the ninth floor of a 62-year-old building in Sham Shui Po, has become a heat trap under Hong Kong’s scorching hot weather. The temperature in her home was above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) at around 5pm on Tuesday, higher than the 33 degrees recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory’s monitoring station in the same district. The temperature in her home only dropped slightly to 37.8 degrees after switching on two fans and an air...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 12Hong Kong college finance chief, wife and contractor held over HK$41m theftThe finance director of a private college in Hong Kong has been remanded in custody on suspicion of embezzling HK$41 million (US$5.2 million) over three years, with his wife and an engineering contractor also denied bail for allegedly handling the illicit proceeds. Ray Yip Kam-chun, 49, appeared in Tuen Mun Court on Wednesday to face a count of theft for allegedly stealing from Hong Kong Chu Hai College in Tuen Mun between December 23, 2022, and January 7 this year. His wife, Ng Ka-man, 49, and...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 12Hong Kong murder suspect faces retrial after jury deadlocks on psychosis defenceA Hong Kong court has ordered a murder suspect to face a retrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict on whether he committed the crime while suffering from a delusion that authorities were harassing him with electromagnetic waves. The 23-day High Court trial of former software developer Matthew Choi ended with a hung jury on Wednesday. Madam Justice Esther Toh Lye-ping discharged the seven-member panel, saying the case was not so complex as to warrant the jurors, who had debated behind closed...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 12Hong Kong student arrested over HK$3m scam deceived by same swindlersHong Kong police have arrested a 19-year-old university student accused of swindling more than HK$3 million from a man after apparently being hoodwinked by scammers herself. Inspector Wu Kwan-yu of Tseung Kwan O police district’s intelligence section said on Wednesday that officers arrested the female student the previous day on suspicion of impersonating mainland Chinese public security officials and swindling more than HK$3 million from a local man. “Police urge youngsters to stay vigilant and...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 12Snooker star Jimmy White becomes Hong Kong resident through talent schemeSnooker star Jimmy White, known as “The Whirlwind”, has become a Hong Kong resident through an official talent scheme, and has revealed plans to establish a snooker academy in the city to nurture local talent. The Hong Kong Immigration Department announced on Wednesday that the English player recently obtained his identity card and took up residency through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, joining fellow stars Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan. Appearing in a video posted on the department’s...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 12Hong Kong authorities charge woman who allegedly kept 136 dogs without licencesHong Kong authorities have charged a woman on suspicion of keeping 136 dogs without valid licences at a shelter previously investigated for alleged animal cruelty, the South China Morning Post has learned. A spokesman for the Agriculture, Conservation and Fisheries Department (AFCD) said on Wednesday that the department commenced prosecution after conducting a raid in response to complaints about the shelter in Yuen Long district. “During the operation, a total of 136 dogs were suspected of...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 10Hong Kong police arrest 8 over HK$6.2 million ‘sugar baby’ dating scamHong Kong police have arrested eight people over an alleged compensated-dating scam syndicate that cheated victims, including teachers and healthcare workers, out of about HK$6.2 million (US$790,000) by telling them they had to pay a “legal fee” to formalise contracts to become “sugar babies”. Police said on Monday that they had investigated 80 cases involving scammers who used compensated dating as a pretext to lure victims between February and July this year. The largest individual loss was...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 10Beijing urged to win Indian hearts, Hong Kong’s hottest day: 5 weekend reads you missedWe have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Why Beijing struggles to win Indian hearts and minds despite diplomatic thaw Though the relationship between the Chinese and Indian governments has been thawing, Beijing has yet to win over the Indian public as it lacked a long-term strategy and communication channels, according to Chinese...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 10Man with knife arrested after allegedly injuring 2 at Hong Kong housing estateA man wielding a knife has been arrested in Hong Kong after allegedly injuring two people at a housing estate in Pok Fu Lam. The force received multiple reports at around 9.20am on Monday that a man in his 20s was attacking residents at Baguio Villa, located at 550 Victoria Road. A domestic helper was injured in the back while a doorman was grazed on the elbow. The helper was sent to Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam for treatment. It was unclear whether the injuries were caused by the...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 10Youth membership in Hong Kong uniformed groups drops 8% over 5 yearsYouth membership in Hong Kong’s uniformed groups has declined by 8 per cent over the past five years despite steady government funding, the South China Morning Post has found, a trend attributed to persistently low birth rates and a wider array of extracurricular activities for students. While several lawmakers have called for introducing key performance indicators (KPIs) for uniformed groups to ensure prudent public spending, some organisations are concerned that linking funding to membership...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 8Man found with knife wounds in lift before another falls to death at same Hong Kong blockHong Kong police are investigating after a man with multiple knife wounds was found in a lift at a public housing block in Wong Tai Sin, seven minutes before another man was discovered to have fallen to his death at the same building. Police received the first report at 7.19am on Saturday after the injured man was found inside a lift at Chiu Sin House in Upper Wong Tai Sin Estate. The man, who had sustained several knife wounds, was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment. Police said he...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 6Passengers all at sea as Hong Kong airport’s Terminal 2 train breaks downScores of travellers at Hong Kong International Airport faced delays and were forced to take alternative routes to their boarding gates after an automated train serving Terminal 2 broke down on Thursday. Photos circulating on social media on Thursday morning showed crowds gathered outside the platform doors, while signs erected at the terminal said the train was “temporarily not in service”. Passengers heading to gates 10 to 230 were directed to use walkways on the departures level. One Threads...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 625 arrested as Hong Kong police bust loan shark ring charging up to 282% interest rateHong Kong police have arrested 25 people, some as young as 13, in a crackdown on a loan shark syndicate that charged victims annual interest rates of up to 282 per cent. Police said on Thursday that the crime ring had provided a total of HK$200 million (US$25.5 million) in loans to about 2,000 residents over the past year, with at least HK$8 million in criminal proceeds funnelled into the core members’ personal accounts. During operations on Tuesday and Wednesday, officers raided three operating...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 5Singapore court jails Hong Kong mother, adult son for violent Changi clashA Singaporean court has jailed a Hong Kong mother and her adult son for up to six months following a chaotic clash at Changi Airport, during which the pair attacked a police officer and a bystander. Chan Sui-kwan, 65, was reportedly sentenced to six months’ imprisonment on Monday for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty, while her son, Chan Wing-kwan, 42, was handed a 10-day jail term for voluntarily causing hurt. The incident occurred on the...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 5Hong Kong ship crews stranded in Strait of Hormuz ‘safe and offered counselling’Crew members aboard about 80 Hong Kong-owned ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz for five months have enough supplies and access to video counselling, an industry representative said, adding that the seafarers face little immediate danger despite the stand-off. Kenneth Lam Sze-kin, deputy chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, said on Wednesday that the roughly 1,600 crew members would remain safe on ships owned by Hong Kong companies as long as shipowners were willing to pay for...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 534% of Hong Kong students win university, diploma spots under admissions systemAbout 34 per cent of students who applied through Hong Kong’s university admissions system have secured tertiary education places this year, marking a slight drop from last year amid stiffer competition. When the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (Jupas) results were shared on Wednesday, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) each said they had offered places to half of the 24 top scorers in this year’s Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE)...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 3Woman missing for 11 days found alive on hillside near Hong Kong cemeteryHong Kong authorities have found a 60-year-old woman on a hillside near a cemetery nearly two weeks after she went missing, despite the search being hampered by a typhoon and days of heavy rain. Police said on Monday that Ngan Lai‑ching left her home at Kwong Ming Court in Tseung Kwan O on the morning of July 24 without a mobile phone or an Octopus card. Authorities noted that she has a history of schizophrenia. Ngan’s daughter reported her missing after she failed to return home the following...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 3Hong Kong church-goers urged to avoid masses by breakaway Catholic group SSPXHong Kong’s Catholic diocese has urged worshippers to avoid masses led by a conservative group excommunicated by the Vatican after a priest from the fraternity was reported to be holding regular events in the city. The diocese’s call came about a month after the Vatican excommunicated followers of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) over the group’s decision to consecrate four new bishops against the direct instruction of Pope Leo XIV. In a statement on Monday, the diocese said the traditional...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 3A Better Tomorrow at 40: how John Woo blockbuster changed Hong Kong cinema – SCMP archiveForty years ago, John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow was released. The action film is considered to be a turning point in Hong Kong cinema with directors like Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration. In this On This Day article, we look at SCMP’s archive coverage of this modern-day classic. A Better Tomorrow was released on August 2, 1986. Due to its popularity, it ran in theatres for 61 days – unheard of at the time – and was Hong Kong’s No 1 movie that year grossing over HK$34.6 million. It...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 3Former Hong Kong prison officer jailed for 3 years over brutal attack on inmateA former Hong Kong prison officer has been sentenced to three years in jail for severely wounding an inmate by repeatedly thrusting a stick into the victim’s rectum after the defendant was sprinkled with baby powder during a game of bingo. District Court Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che on Monday handed down the punishment to Tam Lik-chung, a former Correctional Services Department assistant officer, saying the defendant had committed “a very serious” crime by leading the assault and instructing other...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 3Triathlete death sparks calls for AI monitoring, GPS tracking at Hong Kong racesHong Kong sporting event organisers should use technology to better track and monitor athletes, lawmakers have urged after a triathlete went missing at sea in Tai Po and was later found dead. The death of the participant in the city’s Summer Triathlon Challenge on Sunday has raised concerns over whether safety measures for such races are sufficient, especially amid unstable weather. “Since technology has advanced, can the GPS be optimised? In many past races, participants used GPS to log...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 2‘Pets are meant to be spoiled’: Hong Kong cat owners spend big at feline expoWith 14 cats and a dog at home, Hong Kong couple Mr and Mrs Cheung spend more than HK$10,000 (US$1,275) a month on their beloved pets. “Pets are meant to be spoiled rotten,” said Mrs Cheung, a pet groomer in her thirties who visited the cat expo in Wan Chai on Sunday with her husband and four Maine Coon cats. The cats were dressed up and carried in a HK$4,000 stroller made in Japan. She said the four cats enjoyed going out, but were “a bit emotional today” because of the attention they received...South China Morning Post