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POLITICSAug 27Global US immigrant visa pause: the fallout across China, Asia and Hong KongA pause in US immigrant visas is causing significant consequences across China, Asia, and Hong Kong, affecting migration and international relations.South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 27Hong Kong remains most international city in Asia, widening lead over SingaporeHong Kong has widened its lead over Singapore as Asia’s most international city, buoyed by gains in innovation and ideas, but still trails in attracting technology investment, a leading business chamber study has found. The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce’s annual Asian Cities Internationality Index, released on Thursday, ranked Hong Kong first among 11 Asian cities with 74.6 out of 100 points in a measure of seven key areas. Its lead over Singapore widened to two points, up from 0.2...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 27Wanted in Hong Kong: the theatrical equivalent of a hawker centreOn a Saturday evening, Causeway Bay crackles with its famous retail energy, yet by 9 o’clock the streets begin their nightly death. There is nowhere magnetic to spill into – no late-night jazz den, immersive dinner theatre or playhouse humming with an experimental musical. Nearby, the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium squats in silence while the catering rooms of the Happy Valley racecourse sit largely empty on non-race nights. This dead zone between one of the world’s densest shopping districts and...South China Morning Post
DISASTERBREAKINGAug 27Hong Kong issues red rainstorm warning as morning and whole-day classes suspendedHong Kong’s weather forecaster has downgraded the red rainstorm warning to amber, while education authorities announced that afternoon classes would proceed even though morning and whole-day schools were suspended. The Observatory earlier issued the red signal – the middle level in a three-tier system – at 5.05am, and soon after also issued a Special Landslip Advisory warning of potential landslides in Po Toi Island due to heavy rain. The forecaster downgraded the warning to amber at 9.20am, as...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 27As Hong Kong faces more heatwaves, what must be done to make the city more resilient?Yung, an elderly Hong Kong resident, has spent hours hanging out at a neighbourhood shopping centre in Kwai Chung all summer. But he has not been going there to shop, instead taking refuge from the sweltering heat in the mall’s soothing air-conditioned arcade. The retiree, who lives in a 100 sq ft subdivided flat with his wife, is reluctant to use the air conditioner for long periods to avoid a hefty electricity bill, despite the hot and stuffy weather in recent weeks. “There have been more...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 26China’s robotics IPO wave gains steam as 2 more firms eye Hong Kong listingsAnother two Chinese robotics start-ups have confirmed plans to launch initial public offerings in Hong Kong as early as next year, boosting the city’s role as a prime fundraising hub for China’s fast-growing technology sector. The two Hangzhou-based firms – both founded by former executives at Alibaba Group Holding – are part of a wave of Chinese embodied artificial intelligence start-ups looking to go public as the industry rushes to scale up production. Infiforce Technology Group, the...South China Morning Post
POLITICSAug 26Hong Kong lawmaker urges firms to expand into emerging markets amid US visa pauseHong Kong companies should accelerate their expansion into the Middle East, the Asean bloc and Central Asia to reduce their exposure to geopolitical risks, a lawmaker has said, as the US moved to disrupt immigrant-visa appointments worldwide. Jonathan Lamport, the representative for the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC) in the Legislative Council, said the visa uncertainty reinforced the need for companies to broaden their overseas presence beyond traditional Western markets. “The...South China Morning Post
HEALTHAug 26Hong Kong customs seizes HK$11m of suspected sex pills, cancer drugs at warehouseHong Kong customs officers have seized suspected men’s sexual health pills and cancer treatment drugs worth more than HK$11 million (US$1.4 million) in a Sheung Shui warehouse, arresting two people. Inspector Shirley Woo Suet‑yi of the syndicate crimes investigation bureau at the Customs and Excise Department said on Wednesday that officers had noticed a rising demand for controlled pharmaceutical products in recent weeks. Investigators launched the probe early this month and identified an...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 26Shein valuation plunges to $27 billion in Hong Kong IPOThe valuation of Shein has significantly dropped to $27 billion during its Hong Kong IPO. This indicates a major financial development for the company and its investors.philippinetimes.com · Philippines
BUSINESSAug 26Shein valuation plunges to $27 billion in Hong Kong IPOShein's valuation has significantly dropped to $27 billion during its Hong Kong IPO. This represents a notable financial development for the company in the global market.nepalnational.com · Nepal
BUSINESSAug 26Shein valuation plunges to $27 billion in Hong Kong IPOShein's valuation has reportedly dropped to $27 billion during its Hong Kong IPO. This indicates a significant shift in the company's market assessment.singaporestar.com · Singapore
BUSINESSAug 26Shein valuation plunges to $27 billion in Hong Kong IPOShein's valuation has significantly dropped to $27 billion during its Hong Kong IPO, indicating a notable change in the company's market assessment.parisguardian.com · France
WORLDAug 26Student of the Year Awards celebrates 45 years of excellence, announces new vision for nurturing Hong Kong’s future leadersCelebrating its 45th anniversary this year, the Student of the Year (SOTY) Awards unveiled a series of forward-looking initiatives while honouring a community-minded student-athlete from Ying Wa College with the Grand Prize for exemplifying this year’s theme: “Leadership in Action: Shaping the Possible.” Organised by the South China Morning Post and solely sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, with support from the Education Bureau, the annual awards programme reached another milestone this...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 26Monk remanded after alleged theft of Monkey King statue from Hong Kong templeA mainland Chinese Buddhist monk has been remanded in custody after allegedly stealing a statue of the Monkey King, a deity famed in classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, from a Hong Kong temple. The 57-year-old, Zha Jianxin, appeared in West Kowloon Court on Wednesday after being charged with one count of theft involving a statue belonging to Lung Mo Temple in Tsuen Wan. The statue, valued at HK$2,000 (US$255), depicts Sun Wukong, the mythological Monkey King from the 16th-century...South China Morning Post
CYBERAug 26Hong Kong man loses HK$2.8 million in investment scam, among 50 cases in past weekA Hong Kong man has lost more than HK$2.8 million (US$357,000) in an online investment scam in which fraudsters claiming to be employees of electricity companies duped him into investing in a “recyclable waste project”. Police also said on Wednesday that the force had recorded 50 investment scams in the past week, with the total losses exceeding HK$30 million. The force said the man, who is in his sixties, became acquainted with the scammer on Facebook. The fraudster claimed to be an employee of...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 26‘Squeezed further’: calls for SME energy subsidies as Hong Kong power fuel surcharges soarAn industry leader and a lawmaker have called for subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises after fuel surcharges imposed by Hong Kong’s two power suppliers rose by nearly 80 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively, since March, amid the Middle East conflict. HK Electric, which mainly supplies Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island, announced that its fuel clause charge would increase by 5.9 per cent from August to 60.7 HK cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in September. The increase is the fourth...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 26Hong Kong police officer accidentally discharges firearm at baseA Hong Kong constable is suspected of discharging his service firearm accidentally at a police base in Mong Kok, the force has revealed. The incident occurred at 11.01pm on Tuesday as the officer was loading a round into his service firearm at the West Kowloon Regional Emergency Unit’s base, police said on Wednesday. A single round was fired and no one was injured. Police stressed that the force had strict regulations on the use of firearms and that the incident was being investigated.South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 26Dog injured, woman bitten in 2 new canine attack cases in Hong KongHong Kong authorities are investigating two new dog attack cases that have resulted in injuries to a canine and a woman, which come amid mounting safety concerns after two other similar but deadlier incidents last week. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said on Wednesday that it had been notified by police about the first incident involving the injured dog and had contacted its owner to gather more information. “If there is sufficient evidence that persons concerned...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 26As more expats flock to Hong Kong, luxury home rents poised for further upswingHong Kong’s growing number of expatriates is boosting the city’s residential property leasing market with luxury rents likely to rise by about 5 per cent this year and continue their upswing in 2027, according to property consultancy JLL. The private residential rental index by the Rating and Valuation Department had surged by 18.5 per cent as of June to 205.8 from the Covid-19 pandemic trough in January 2023, which was 173.6, marking the first sustained breach of the 200 threshold. “Hong Kong’s...South China Morning Post
POLITICSAug 25Hong Kong’s property, financial markets face test under cross-border anti-corruption lawChina’s deliberation on its sweeping cross-border anti-corruption law may ripple through Hong Kong’s financial and property markets, as Beijing seeks harsher punishments for corrupt officials and broadens its scrutiny of the massive pool of wealth transferred overseas. Hong Kong remains in focus after the draft law was submitted on Tuesday to the standing committee of the national legislature for deliberation, analysts said. The law was “designed to give mainland authorities a clearer statutory...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 25How mainland Chinese engineers can help Hong Kong firms bridge talent gapMainland China’s vast pool of engineers can help Hong Kong companies expand, bridge their talent gap and scale up operations, industry leaders have said. They shared their insights during a six-day media tour of the Greater Bay Area organised by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. The itinerary included a research institute in Guangzhou’s Nansha district, a cargo facility and a university in Dongguan, a major industrial city in Guangdong province. Among the key stops was the Guangzhou HKUST...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 25Another suspect in HK$7m gold robbery at Hong Kong airport held after car crashA suspect linked to a HK$7 million (US$893,200) gold robbery at Hong Kong International Airport has been arrested after crashing his car inside Tate’s Cairn Tunnel. The 21-year-old man was driving a private car towards Sha Tin around 3am on Tuesday when he crashed into an oncoming vehicle. Police discovered around 66 grams of suspected cocaine, five e-cigarette cartridges suspected to contain etomidate, and drug paraphernalia on the driver and inside the vehicle, with the illicit haul valued at...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 25Woman fined HK$4,000 over unleashed dog attack at Hong Kong pet gardenA woman has been fined HK$4,000 (US$510) after pleading guilty to failing to keep her dog on a leash after it attacked a smaller canine and bit its owner. Eastern Court on Tuesday heard guilty pleas from Chong Oi-lam, 44, who had not leashed her golden retriever while walking it at the pet garden at Wan Chai Temporary Promenade on January 20. The court heard that after the golden retriever pounced on a Pomeranian, its owner picked up the smaller dog to shield it from the attack. The retriever...South China Morning Post
HEALTHAug 25Hong Kong’s Chinese Medicine Hospital to start 24-hour inpatient services in DecemberThe Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong will launch 24-hour inpatient services in December, the first of its kind in the city, and charge patients HK$980 (US$125) per day for subsidised care, more than three times the fee at public hospitals. The city’s first dedicated traditional Chinese medicine hospital will also launch 10 additional special disease programmes within this year to help treat conditions such as eczema and Parkinson’s disease. The hospital, which was opened last December in...South China Morning Post