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BUSINESSSep 8Investors pour record US$1.3 trillion into Hong Kong investment productsSales of non-exchange-traded investment products in Hong Kong surged to a record HK$9.9 trillion (US$1.3 trillion) in 2025, marking a 63 per cent year-on-year increase, according to the latest joint survey by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). A significant expansion in market participation drove the record-breaking performance. The number of investors completing at least one transaction rose 33 per cent to a record at more than 1.6 million,...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 8Hong Kong seizes HK$1.4b suspected drugs over summer as traffickers target studentsHong Kong customs has smashed an international drug trafficking network over the summer, seizing 6.1 tonnes of suspected narcotics worth more than HK$1.4 billion (US$178.5 million) and arresting 150 people as syndicates actively recruited students during the holiday period. Acting head of the Customs and Excise Department’s drug investigation bureau Wong Ngar-lun said on Tuesday that real-time intelligence exchanges with overseas law enforcement agencies helped dismantle complex, multilayered...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 8Gold jacket, purple trousers: Hong Kong celebrates Leslie Cheung’s 70th birthdayThe Hong Kong Heritage Museum is reviving its tribute to late singer-actor Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing three years on, marking the Cantopop icon’s 70th birthday with rare private collections, stage costumes and a recreated room from his former residence. Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the “Miss You Much. Leslie 70th Birthday. Exhibition” runs from September 9 to May 10, 2027 at the museum in Sha Tin, with free admission. Cheung, affectionately known to fans as “Gor Gor” –...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 8Hong Kong reserves right to seek compensation over faulty hospital lift workHong Kong authorities have reserved the right to seek compensation from contractors over faulty lift installation work that has delayed operations at Queen Mary Hospital’s new block, the development minister has said. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said on Tuesday that the main contractor, a Paul Y-Able joint venture, and lift subcontractor Anlev Elex Elevator would be required to bear all costs of remedial work, ensuring public expenditure on the project would not...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 8Hong Kong’s first astronaut to give live space lecture to students on WednesdayFirst Hong Kong astronaut Lai Ka-ying will deliver a live lecture from space to students and teachers at her alma mater on Wednesday morning, with the session also broadcast to pupils across the city and in neighbouring Macau. According to an Education Bureau notice delivered to all primary and secondary schools on Tuesday, Lai, alongside her two fellow Shenzhou-23 crew members, mission commander Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan, would take part in the “Tiangong Class” at Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 8Expand Hong Kong’s MPF investment choices, lure mainland pension funds: financial councilHong Kong should consider allowing the Mandatory Provident Fund to invest in more asset classes, and lure more long-term patient mainland capital, such as pension funds, to invest globally through the city, the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) said in a report on Tuesday. The MPF, the city’s compulsory retirement scheme, now has total assets of HK$1.67 trillion (US$213 billion) and invests in stocks, bonds and deposits. The FSDC suggests allowing a portion of the funds to be...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 8Beijing recommends 16 Hong Kong civil servants to UN roles, highest number to dateBeijing has recommended the largest-ever cohort of civil servants from Hong Kong to take on roles in United Nations agencies this year, expecting the deployments to broaden their global perspective and strengthen the city’s position as a bridge between China and the international community. The batch of 16 officers sent under the UN Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme came from 13 grades and departments, including customs, police and the city’s anti-corruption agency. The number surpassed...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 8Hong Kong families hit as volcanic ash strands up to 200 helpers in IndonesiaUp to 200 Hong Kong-bound domestic helpers remain stranded in Indonesia despite the reopening of several affected airports, as the city’s employment agencies association braces for possible further closures due to volcanic ash. The Indonesian transport ministry said Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport resumed operations on Tuesday after being shut for several days, following the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatoa on Saturday, which affected thousands of travellers. Among those stranded...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 8Hong Kong a boon to Kazakhstan’s advanced manufacturing ambitions, ties to Europe: expertHong Kong firms could look to Kazakhstan as a base for advanced manufacturing and as a gateway to Europe, while the city’s robust capital markets could attract businesses in the Central Asian country, a diplomat and business adviser has said. Sabr Yessimbekov, adviser to the chairman of the presidium of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, told the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the inaugural China Conference: Central Asia 2026 that some projects in...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 8Hong Kong emerges as leading Asian study destination for Kazakhstani studentsKazakhstan has recorded the largest student population and fastest enrolment growth at Hong Kong’s public universities among Central Asian countries in recent years, according to official data, while students from the country said the city was the most preferred regional higher education destination in Asia among their peers. Among local institutions, City University (CityU) enrolled the largest share of Kazakhstani students. Its council chairman told the South China Morning Post that students...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 8Hong Kong aviation success today means more than just adding routesWhen Cathay Pacific Airways announced direct flights to Almaty starting next January, the significance went beyond adding another destination. The service will be Cathay Pacific’s first to Central Asia and the only non-stop passenger connection between Hong Kong and Kazakhstan. Another announcement pointed to Hong Kong’s growing aviation reach from a different direction. Qatar Airways Cargo relocated its regional office to Hong Kong and agreed with the Airport Authority to increase frequencies...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 8Foreign, mainland students flock to Hong Kong sparking property demand in education sectorHong Kong’s bid to become a global education hub is likely to transform the sector as a sustainable source of property demand, with the city tipped to see around 200,000 non-local students by 2035, according to CBRE. The city’s international schools are estimated to require enormous additional real estate to accommodate nearly 30,000 to 40,000 non-local students, as the institutions would need to set up 40 to 50 new school campuses. This could mean up to an extra 1.11 million square metres (12...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 7Kazakhstan, Hong Kong ‘can build biotech unicorns by linking talent and capital’Kazakhstan and Hong Kong could partner to build biotech unicorns – private start-ups valued at US$1 billion or more – by linking the Central Asian country’s strong tech workforce with the city’s global financial network, a top academic has said. Huck-Hui Ng, dean of the school of medicine at Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev University, said the nascent biotech sector in the country has already produced several start-ups in areas including artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health, and could build a...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 7Hong Kong restaurant prosecuted after live newborn rat found in takeaway lunchboxHong Kong food safety authorities have prosecuted a restaurant after an investigation into claims that a newborn rat was found wriggling inside one of its takeaway lunchboxes uncovered unsatisfactory hygiene conditions. The lunchbox came from Wa Jer Restaurant, located in the Wah Sing Industrial Building on Wah Sing Street. A customer reportedly bought a HK$44 (US$5.60) set meal that included satay beef rice noodles, a ham omelette and a drink. When opening the takeaway box, she discovered a...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 7Hong Kong’s Nepalis gather for prayers on 13th day of flood mourningHundreds of Nepalis in Hong Kong gathered on Monday to pay tribute to thousands of victims of the flash flood in their homeland, marking the traditional 13th day of mourning since the disaster struck. The hour-long programme, organised by local community groups with support from the Nepalese consulate, coincided with a national day of mourning in Nepal on September 7. Addressing the crowd, Satish Gurung, the acting consul general for Nepal in Hong Kong, said it was a “very difficult time” for...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 7University of Hong Kong suspends professor over past sexual misconduct in CanadaA professor at Hong Kong’s oldest medical school has been suspended from clinical work and face-to-face teaching after the university discovered he was temporarily disqualified from practising in Canada following past sexual harassment allegations. The University of Hong Kong (HKU) confirmed on Monday that Peter Tanuseputro, a clinical professor in the department of family medicine and primary care, was asked to work from home after the university became aware of a professional misconduct ruling...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 7Hong Kong customs seizes 200 crickets, 13kg of cockroaches at border checkpointHong Kong customs officers have intercepted two travellers in separate cases at the Lo Wu border checkpoint for allegedly importing live insects commonly used as reptile feed. On Saturday, officers stopped a 71-year-old local man at the arrival hall and seized 200 crickets from his baggage, valued at about HK$2,000 (US$255). The following day, officers intercepted a 66-year-old local woman at the same checkpoint carrying 13kg (28.6 lbs) of dubia roaches, worth about HK$3,900, in her...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 7Hong Kong landlords accuse banks of deepening shop slump with reluctance to lendHong Kong landlords and property industry figures are accusing banks of deepening the city’s shop slump by pulling back from commercial mortgages, leaving more potential buyers unable to secure financing even though property values have fallen sharply. Shop buyers were increasingly being turned away, even though Hong Kong’s residential market had gained momentum this year and banks were competing for mortgage borrowers, they said. Shih Wing-ching, founder of Centaline Property, said banks tended...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 7SCMP partners with top Kazakh university to deepen Hong Kong’s Central Asia tiesThe South China Morning Post has signed an agreement with a leading university in Kazakhstan to foster the exchange of knowledge between East and Central Asia while extending Hong Kong’s media presence in the region. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on Monday in Astana, just ahead of the SCMP’s China Conference: Central Asia 2026, a flagship event making its debut in the region. According to the agreement, the strategic partnership formalises links between the SCMP and Nazarbayev...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 7Chinese firms’ green-tech expansion hinges on Hong Kong, senior bankers sayHong Kong is poised to play a bigger role in financing Chinese green-technology companies’ expansion into emerging markets, as geopolitical fragmentation and high funding costs reshape how capital is deployed in the global energy transition, according to senior banking executives. The city’s deep sustainable-finance market and offshore yuan liquidity could help channel capital into green and climate-resilience projects across developing economies, executives from Bank of China (Hong Kong), DBS,...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 7Hong Kong a ‘trusted partner’ to drive Central Asia growth, city leader saysHong Kong is committed to being a “trusted partner” in driving Central Asia’s emergence as a global growth engine, according to the city’s leader, who hailed the substantial outcomes achieved since his landmark mission to the region. In a virtual appearance at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference: Central Asia 2026 held in Astana on Monday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that a bank in his June delegation had since backed the Development Bank of Kazakhstan with US$785 million...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 72 Hong Kong travel agencies, guide stripped of licences over ‘coerced shopping’Hong Kong’s tourism watchdog has revoked the licences of two travel agencies and a guide after finding they failed to protect members of mainland Chinese tour groups from “coerced shopping”. The Travel Industry Authority said on Monday that the licences of Go Go Ming Travel Services, Grandee Travel Company and guide Sun Kwun-ying were revoked with immediate effect. “The authority adopts a zero-tolerance approach towards coerced shopping and any conduct that damages the reputation of Hong Kong’s...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 7Didi to apply for driverless vehicle tests in Hong Kong this yearMainland Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing will apply to test autonomous vehicles in a Hong Kong urban area this year, a government adviser has revealed, with the trial runs potentially being expanded later on to cover more new development areas. The announcement followed a visit to Didi’s Beijing headquarters last Wednesday by Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan and a group of lawmakers. Gary Zhang Xinyu, a member of the Transport Department’s working group for promoting...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 7Hong Kong Positioned to Become a Leading Hub for Nature and Blue FinanceHong Kong is strategically positioned to become a leading hub for nature and blue finance. This indicates a focused effort on sustainable financial development within the region.portal.sina.com.hk · Hong Kong