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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
BUSINESSJul 8Alibaba shares spike 12% in Hong Kong as T-Head chips, AI revenue fuel earnings optimismShares of Alibaba Group Holding surged to a high of 13.8 per cent in Hong Kong on Wednesday as equity analysts expect revenue to reaccelerate in the June quarter, driven by growing demand for artificial intelligence and narrowing losses in food delivery. The gain, the strongest this year, came before the company closed up 12.2 per cent at HK$107.5 (US$13.71). Rivals Tencent Holdings and Meituan saw their shares grow 3.8 and 3.3 per cent, respectively, while the Hang Seng Tech Index increased by...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
DISASTERJul 8Clips of flooded Hong Kong rivers, streets go viral online after heavy rainVideos of flash-flooded rivers and overflowing pavements went viral on social media on Wednesday as residents in parts of Hong Kong grappled with more than 70mm of rainfall in 24 hours. The intensity of the floods prompted some users online to claim a picture of the extreme was outdated or even AI-generated, only to be proved wrong when a clip was shared by another person. “I actually live in the village houses right above that spot, so I wanted to post the video I took this morning to prove...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 8Hong Kong records surge in disciplinary cases among intern and resident doctorsThe number of disciplinary cases involving intern and resident doctors in Hong Kong’s public hospitals has nearly tripled over four years, with lawmakers calling for stronger safeguards to uphold professional standards. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau revealed on Wednesday that the Hospital Authority recorded 35 disciplinary cases involving intern and resident doctors for poor performance or breaches of professional conduct during 2025-26. The figure rose from 23 recorded in 2024-25, 20 in...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
HEALTHJul 8Embryo specimen mix-up: what happened and how is IVF regulated in Hong Kong?A rare mix-up involving embryo biopsy specimens at Heal Fertility, a privately-run reproduction clinic in Hong Kong linked to former financial secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung, has prompted investigations by health authorities and police The South China Morning Post looks into fertility treatments in the city and how they are regulated. 1. What is in vitro fertilisation? In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a fertility treatment offered to couples struggling to conceive naturally. A woman receiving...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 8Hong Kong’s Paul Chan pledges second trip to Saudi Arabia to build Mideast tiesHong Kong’s finance chief will lead another business delegation to Saudi Arabia later this year, announcing the news as the city hosted the first overseas edition of one of the kingdom’s top technology conferences as part of efforts to boost ties with the Middle East. Speaking at the opening ceremony of LEAP East 2026 on Wednesday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also announced that the conference’s Hong Kong edition would continue to be held annually for the next three years. For his second...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHJul 8Google DeepMind director Cao Liangliang makes a boomerang-return to Hong KongIn a homecoming for Hong Kong’s artificial intelligence community, Cao Liangliang – former principal engineer and director at Google DeepMind, IEEE Fellow and architect of foundational AI systems at Google, Apple and IBM – has returned to the city after a two-decade absence. His appointment as Chair Professor of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) last week completes an intellectual boomerang trajectory that began under renowned mentor Tang...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSJul 8Mainland China court claims jurisdiction over Hong Kong-listed company in investor lawsuitA mainland Chinese court has claimed jurisdiction over an investor lawsuit against a Hong Kong-listed firm for the first time, with the move likely to increase scrutiny of corporate disclosures. Mainland investors filed the lawsuit with the Beijing Financial Court, alleging that an overseas-incorporated company had failed to disclose irregular loans, unauthorised guarantees and related-party transactions in 2017 and 2018, in violation of Hong Kong’s listing rules, according to a recent report by...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSJul 8Chinese autonomous-driving firm Momenta rises 3% in Hong Kong stock debutChinese autonomous driving firm Momenta debuted on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Wednesday, rising 3%.CNBC
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
POLITICSJul 7How Hong Kong is fighting to redefine its future with an institutional moat, wealth surgeFor decades, warnings of Hong Kong’s terminal decline have arrived in periodic waves. When Stephen Roach, the former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, ignited a firestorm with his February 2024 assertion that “Hong Kong is over”, he pointed to a toxic cocktail of domestic and external pressures. Roach, who doubled down on his “wake-up call” a year ago, argued that the city’s economic glory was being extinguished by a loss of political autonomy following 2020’s national security law, the spillover...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSJul 7Hong Kong’s war-risk pool testament to collaboration, insurance leader saysThe launch of a marine war-risk pool by Hong Kong insurers is a prime example of how the city’s insurers can collaborate not just for the benefit of the local economy but for the entire nation, an industry veteran has said. At the South China Morning Post’s China Conference, themed “Intelligence at Scale: Hong Kong’s AI-Powered Future”, panel speakers considered how the insurance industry could bolster financial resilience across the Greater Bay Area. Speaking at the event, Selina Lau Pui-ling,...South China Morning Post
HEALTHJul 7Hong Kong IVF clinic ordered to suspend most services after embryo sample errorsHong Kong’s regulator for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has ordered a fertility clinic to partially halt operations after it mishandled embryo biopsy specimens from two patients and failed to report the incident to health authorities. The Council on Human Reproductive Technology said on Tuesday that it had suspended most operations at HEAL Fertility in Central after discovering that embryo biopsy specimens the clinic sent for pre-implantation genetic testing belonged to the wrong parents. The...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 7Hong Kong consults on sex law reform over cult coercion, campus and online abuseCults luring victims overseas for sex in a bid to “change their fate”, as well as suggestive games hosted at orientation camps in Hong Kong could amount to sexual offences, authorities have warned, as they launched a public consultation on the city’s sexual law reforms. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Tuesday clarified that sexual offences involving misleading claims would fall within the city’s legal remit if the deception took place in Hong Kong, even if the incident occurred...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSJul 7Hong Kong should build AI plan around ‘competitive’ strengths, industry leaders sayHong Kong should draft a five-year plan that includes an artificial intelligence (AI) focus that is not too broad, makes the most of its core strengths and attracts the best talent to develop the sector, industry leaders have said. At the South China Morning Post’s China Conference on Tuesday, titled “Intelligence at Scale: Hong Kong’s AI-Powered Future”, speakers at two panel discussions considered how Hong Kong could deliver on its AI aspirations and the city’s readiness as a launch pad for...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSJul 7Hong Kong yuan facility to expand 150% to US$73.6 billion to meet international demandHong Kong will substantially increase its yuan facilities for banks from this Friday, while the city will also introduce a new electronic fixed income and currency (FIC) trading system as part of its latest efforts to promote yuan trading, according to local market regulators on Tuesday. Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) would increase the quota of its RMB Business Facility for banks by 1.5 times to 500 billion yuan (US$73.6 billion) from this Friday, according to its chief executive Eddie Yue...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 7Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong expected to plead guilty in foreign collusion caseHong Kong jailed activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung has indicated he will plead guilty to conspiring with a fugitive former lawmaker to collude with foreign forces six years ago. The High Court has scheduled a plea and sentencing hearing for the 29-year-old on September 2, according to the judiciary’s website on Tuesday, signalling his intention to admit the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under the Beijing-decreed national security law. The court has yet to announce the...South China Morning Post
DISASTERJul 7Minibus driver arrested in Hong Kong for allegedly knocking down elderly pedestrianHong Kong police have arrested a 74-year-old minibus driver on suspicion of dangerous driving after he allegedly ran over a 90-year-old man crossing a road in Kwai Chung. Police said the accident was reported at about 7.24am on Tuesday on 188 Hing Fong Road. The driver, surnamed Yan, was driving a public light bus towards Kwai Fong when he allegedly struck the elderly pedestrian, surnamed Leung, who was crossing the road. Officers arriving at the scene found the 90-year-old with a head injury...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
SCI & TECHJul 7AI ‘central plank’ in Hong Kong’s economic development, John Lee saysHong Kong’s high-quality economic development will be guided by its first five-year blueprint and the coming policy address, with artificial intelligence (AI) as the “central plank”, the city’s leader has said. Speaking at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference 2026 on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” advantages and commitment to innovation and technology position the city to connect the world with opportunities in an AI-powered...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