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BusinessJun 28Hong Kong can drive ‘China Opportunity 2.0’ push for global growth: Paul ChanHong Kong is uniquely positioned to add value to Beijing’s “China Opportunity 2.0” narrative, serving as a bridge and catalyst for the global expansion of mainland Chinese enterprises, the city’s finance chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also named the Northern Metropolis megaproject in his weekly blog on Sunday as a destination that would empower mainland firms to commercialise their research outcomes and deepen technological development of both sides. “In the face of...South China Morning Post
HealthJun 28Widen mental health support for Hong Kong youth beyond high-risk cases, adviser urgesHong Kong should broaden mental health support beyond high-risk students amid the growing impact of social media on young people, a government adviser has urged, as a prominent tycoon pledged to empower more young philanthropists to tackle the problem. Children who had not shown any of the usual signs of intense difficulty at home or school were taking their own lives, according to Dr Lam Ching-choi, a member of the city’s key decision-making Executive Council and the chairman of the Advisory...South China Morning Post
DisasterJun 28Hong Kong Observatory issues amber rainstorm signal, warns city to brace for rainThis story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory has issued the amber rainstorm warning, advising residents to brace for wet weather under the influence of a low-pressure trough along the southern Chinese coast. The forecaster issued the lowest of a three-tier rainstorm warning at 11.10am on Sunday, signalling widespread heavy rain would affect Hong Kong soon. The signal means that...South China Morning Post
Sci & TechJun 28Hong Kong’s AI push needs a broader vision and more realistic goalsHong Kong cannot be faulted for not working hard enough to catch up in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race. Government funding is flowing generously towards projects focused on AI adoption. In recent years, the government has pumped billions into building the necessary infrastructure, including HK$2.84 billion (US$364 million) for a semiconductor centre, HK$3 billion for an AI subsidy scheme and another HK$1 billion allocated for an advanced AI R&D institute. In March, the government...South China Morning Post
BusinessJun 28Financial products or illicit gambling? Can Hong Kong regulate prediction markets?The legality of prediction markets in Hong Kong has been called further into question, with at least one international brokerage firm operating such a platform in the city, prompting the market regulator to say certain activities may be considered “financial products”. Lawyers were also split on whether the delineation between financial products and illegal gambling was clear under the city’s existing laws given the nature of prediction markets, with one saying the latest case highlights a “grey...South China Morning Post
DisasterJun 27Boy dies after suspected heatstroke at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground in Hong KongA boy has died after showing signs of heatstroke, including vomiting and fainting, following a 400-metre training run at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground in Hong Kong. A police spokesman said the force was alerted at 5.11pm on Saturday that the boy, 11, had vomited and was displaying signs of heatstroke at the sports complex. “He was sent to Tseung Kwan O Hospital unconscious,” the spokesman said. The boy, a Hong Kong identity card holder, was certified dead in hospital at around 6.50pm. A source...South China Morning Post
Sci & TechJun 27‘This is an unhealthy environment’: Arctic researcher Li Xueke leaves the US for Hong KongFor climate scientist Li Xueke, the decision to leave the University of Pennsylvania for Hong Kong was a pivot to the front lines of the global green economy. As climate change turns the Arctic into a seasonally navigable ocean, Li’s research on critical new shipping routes could shed light on the economic impacts of a warming planet. Li joined City University of Hong Kong (CityU) last month as an assistant professor in the school of energy and environment, following a decade of study and work...South China Morning Post
Sci & TechJun 27AI K-pop video pulled after anti-drug message backfires for Hong Kong prison serviceHong Kong’s prison service has twice withdrawn an anti-drug video featuring a beautiful AI-generated virtual K-pop girl group from social media after internet users said it resembled a promotion campaign for illegal substances. The Correctional Services Department uploaded the controversial video, titled “Obsession: The Sugar-Coated Trap”, to its social media platforms on Friday. In the video, four pretty AI-generated virtual K-pop idols in fancy clothes sing and dance. One, named “Cannabis”,...South China Morning Post
WorldJun 27Why are Hong Kong, mainland China universities gaining ground in global rankings?The global higher education landscape has shifted markedly over the past five years, with universities across Asia, particularly in Hong Kong and mainland China, climbing international rankings while more than 70 per cent of US institutions slipped, a South China Morning Post analysis has found. UK-based education data firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) said the trend signalled that excellence in higher education was no longer dominated by a handful of Western countries, attributing the improved...South China Morning Post
WorldJun 27Hong Kong football clubs acknowledge arrests linked to illegal betting, match-fixingTwo of the 19 people reportedly arrested this week as part of a major crackdown on an illegal bookmaking ring in Hong Kong have been identified as prominent football coaches in the city. Lo Kwan-yee, head coach of local first division champions Supreme, and Poon Man-chun, coach of the under-18 and under-22 teams at local Premier League champions Kitchee and father of Hong Kong international Max Poon Pui-hin, were said to be among those linked to a group involved in match-fixing and handling...South China Morning Post
WorldJun 27Thousands pack Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui promenade for annual dragon boat racesThousands of spectators and paddlers have descended on Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui promenade to cheer and compete as the 50th anniversary of the city’s annual International Dragon Boat Races gets under way. More than 220 teams from 16 jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Australia and Qatar, are competing in the two-day event starting on Saturday, drawing tourists and locals alike to cheer on their favourite teams as they race across Victoria Harbour. Visitors to the harbourfront lauded the “well...South China Morning Post
MilitaryJun 27Thousands flock to PLA airbase amid Hong Kong handover celebrationsThousands of residents have braved the scorching heat to watch helicopter demonstrations and try out military equipment at a PLA airbase near Hong Kong’s border. Military enthusiast Kin Man arrived at Shek Kong with his mother from Tai Po more than an hour before the 9am opening on Saturday. They were among the first ticket holders in line for the open day, part of celebrations marking the 29th anniversary of the city’s handover on July 1. “I’m interested in everything military, especially the...South China Morning Post
WorldJun 27When Hong Kong hosted its first International Film Festival in 1977 – SCMP archiveThis article was first published on June 28, 1977. Film festival off to impressive start by SCMP reporter Hongkong’s First International Film Festival got off to an impressive start last night (June 27, 1977). It was not quite the glittering social occasion as the Cannes Film Festival and there certainly was not the profusion of topless models and eager starlets that the Mediterranean occasion produces. But the cocktail party that opened the festival in City Hall yesterday did bring together...South China Morning Post
DisasterJun 27How does this NGO help Hong Kong fire victims, needy people get a dignified farewell?On a drizzly, windy morning in June, a family gathered before a tombstone at Wo Hop Shek Cemetery in northern Hong Kong to bid farewell to a loved one who died in the Wang Fuk Court fire. Beneath the muddy grave and scattered stones lies a man surnamed Hung, in his forties, among the 168 victims of the city’s deadliest fire in decades. Last November’s inferno also displaced nearly 5,000 residents. Unlike many victims who were cremated, Hung’s family insisted on a burial. “He passed in the blaze,...South China Morning Post
DisasterJun 27Filipino teenager, 17, drowns after falling from Peng Chau bridge in Hong KongA Filipino teenager has drowned after losing his balance while walking on a bridge and falling into the sea off an outlying island in Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post has learned. According to a source, the 17-year-old boy, who holds a Hong Kong identity card, was chatting with two friends while sitting on the railings of Chau Tsai Bridge on Peng Chau on Friday evening. At around 7.18pm, he stood on the railings and walked a few steps before losing his balance and falling into the sea,...South China Morning Post
BusinessJun 27Prediction markets: Hong Kong ban alone will not solve risks, legal experts sayPrediction markets occupy a grey area under Hong Kong’s gambling laws, with experts warning that the increasingly popular betting platforms could pose risks related to market manipulation and consumer protection. Lawyers and a legislator said that while a ban could restrict access to these largely unregulated betting platforms, authorities would face challenges in gathering evidence and prosecuting cases. “If there were such a ban, we foresee there would be practical challenges for the...South China Morning Post
PoliticsJun 27Hong Kong’s Tiu Keng Leng residents win landmark case in 1996 – SCMP archiveThis article was first published on June 28, 1996. Rennie’s Mill residents win battle for damages by Cliff Buddle and Ng Kang-chung Rennie’s Mill residents won their marathon battle with the Government yesterday (June 27, 1996) when a judge ruled they had been treated unfairly and must be paid damages. Mr Justice Raymond Sears said the Government abused its powers by breaching a 35-year-old promise to allow the refugees to stay at the Tseung Kwan O site indefinitely. But the residents were told...South China Morning Post
PoliticsJun 27Hong Kong is betting on integration with mainland China but what are the risks?In the second of a two-part series on the economy as Hong Kong marks 29 years since its return to Chinese rule, Lo Hoi Ying and Leopold Chen look at the city’s efforts at closer integration with the nation and the opportunities and obstacles it presents. Part one can be found here. A question from his niece about how face masks should be recycled prompted materials scientist Eddie Yu to rethink sustainability and inspired him to develop biodegradable materials when he started his company,...South China Morning Post
BusinessJun 27Growth agenda: Hong Kong vows stronger exchange with reforms, bond futures and gold pushHong Kong is pressing ahead with an overhaul of listing rules and the launch of new product initiatives, the city’s deputy finance chief said on Friday as the bourse operator marked 26 years as a publicly traded company. Speaking at the anniversary ceremony of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun outlined reforms under review, including optimising weighted voting rights, easing secondary listings by overseas issuers, and expanding flexibility...South China Morning Post
PoliticsJun 26Hong Kong civil service chief vows ‘attractive’ pay rise once economy improvesHong Kong’s civil service chief has pledged to deliver a “reasonable and attractive” pay adjustment once the economy and public finances improve, following the legislature’s approval of a flat 2 per cent pay rise for civil servants this year. The Legislative Council’s finance committee on Friday scrutinised HK$6 billion (US$765 million) in spending for the annual pay adjustment for civil servants and associated provisions for subvented organisations, after an earlier decision by the city’s top...South China Morning Post
WorldJun 26Hong Kong moves to curb flow of high liquid content waste in landfillsHong Kong is seeking to curb the flow of bulk high liquid content waste, such as expired drinks, personal care products and discarded detergents, into landfills, a move conservationists say will protect local waters and coastlines from the risk of toxic leakage. While academics and green groups welcomed the move, the retail sector expressed concern that the new requirement might result in higher recycling and manpower costs that could ultimately be passed on to consumers. The Environmental...South China Morning Post
BusinessJun 26Hong Kong power firms to give residential customers rebates as bills soarHong Kong’s two major electricity suppliers will provide rebates to eligible households between August and October to reduce their bills and ease financial pressure after the US-Israel war on Iran pushed up energy prices. HK Electric said on Friday that it would provide a special subsidy of 8 HK cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for three consecutive months to residential customers with a monthly electricity consumption of 450 kWh or less. A spokesman said the initiative would benefit around half of...South China Morning Post
CyberJun 26Hong Kong, mainland police smash HK$16.8 million cross-border phishing syndicateHong Kong police and mainland authorities have smashed a cross-border phishing syndicate that swindled victims out of HK$16.8 million (US$2.14 million) by impersonating the Water Supplies Department, resulting in 15 arrests between March and June. The joint enforcement action, code-named Operation Boldhawk, targeted a criminal chain that sent malicious text messages to residents in the city, Superintendent Hui Yee-wai of the police cyber security and technology crime bureau said on Friday. “This...South China Morning Post
PoliticsJun 26Hong Kong bookshop owners bailed after arrests on suspicion of seditionThe owners of an independent Hong Kong bookshop have been released on bail two days after being arrested by national security police on suspicion of sedition and money laundering, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source familiar with the matter said the two owners of Hunter Bookstore – former district councillor for the now-disbanded Civic Party, Leticia Wong Man‑huen, 33, and a 32-year-old local man – were released from Sham Shui Po police station at about 4.45pm on Friday and must...South China Morning Post
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