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WORLDSep 295 universities in Hong Kong rank in top 100 in ‘historic’ shift from West to EastFive public universities in Hong Kong have ranked in the top 100 of a renowned British publication’s latest global league table, as part of a trend described as a “historic realignment” of academic prowess from West to East. The University of Hong Kong remained the city’s highest-ranked tertiary institution, holding onto 33rd place from the previous year, in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, released on Wednesday. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) ranked 42nd,...South China Morning Post
CYBERSep 29Hong Kong police receive 1,503 reports of suspicious iPhone charges worth HK$30mHong Kong police have received more than 1,500 reports of suspicious credit card transactions involving Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro series, totalling more than HK$30 million (US$3.82 million). In an update on the case, which has drawn public attention, the force said the number of reports had risen to 1,503 as of Tuesday, from about 1,200 two weeks earlier. It added that all the transactions had been cancelled. Speaking at a Kowloon City district council meeting, Commissioner of Police Joe Chow...South China Morning Post
CYBERSep 29Retired Hong Kong woman loses HK$2.9 million in online romance, fake app scamA retired woman in Hong Kong lost nearly HK$2.9 million (US$369,670) in a romance scam after a fraudster posing as a power company employee won her trust and lured her into a bogus investment scheme. Police said the case was among at least 18 online romance scams reported in the past week, with total losses nearing HK$7.8 million, according to the force’s CyberDefender social media page. The 71-year-old retiree met a man on Facebook who claimed to work for a power company. The pair gradually...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHSep 29Hong Kong firms lag mainland China on AI adoption amid legacy-system burden: AccentureHong Kong businesses are lagging behind their mainland Chinese peers in adopting artificial intelligence, as entrenched legacy systems and a risk-averse corporate mindset slow the city’s digital transition, according to a senior executive at consultancy Accenture. Only 10 per cent of Hong Kong firms surveyed by Accenture had integrated generative AI across multiple business functions, compared with about 21 per cent of mainland enterprises, said Robert Hah, Hong Kong office lead at Accenture...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 29Hong Kong turns Halloween into month-long event with street parties, free ridesA new month-long campaign to transform Hong Kong into Asia’s premier Halloween destination will feature street parties across five neighbourhoods along with free rides on decorated buses and trams. The Tourism Board’s inaugural “Hong Kong Halloween Month” will bring street celebrations to Central, Kai Tak, Lan Kwai Fong, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui East on three consecutive Saturdays from October 17, culminating on Halloween night. The events will run alongside promotional events at Disneyland...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 29Hong Kong man returns to city after 26 years in Philippine prison for drug offencesA Hong Kong man imprisoned in the Philippines for 26 years while fighting against convictions for drug possession has been released and returned home on Tuesday evening. Tang Lung-wai, 55, was seen hugging with his elder brother, Billy Tang Lung-piu, as he arrived from Manila at the Hong Kong International Airport. Asked how he felt after arriving in his home city, he said: “After spending 26 years in hell, I am unflappable.” Tang Lung-wai was arrested in Manila in July 2000 for possession of...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 29Hong Kong man jailed 3 years for hammer attack on associate who later diedHong Kong’s High Court has sentenced a man with a triad background to three years and two months in prison after he attacked an associate with a hammer, leaving the victim bleeding on the street before he died of an overdose hours later. The court heard on Tuesday that Mo Tai-fung, 42, was initially charged with murdering the 33-year-old, having struck him on the head 11 times at about 2am on July 28, 2024, outside a building on Pilkem Street in Yau Ma Tei. Prosecutors amended the charge at an...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 290.5% of nurses trained outside Hong Kong, authorities say amid hiring rowLess than 0.5 per cent of registered Hong Kong nurses received their training outside the city, while 99.8 per cent of those working in public hospitals are locally trained, health authorities have said amid a growing row with a trade union over employment concerns. The latest figures were released on Tuesday after the city’s health minister repeatedly rejected claims that authorities had favoured mainland Chinese nurses over local candidates. On Saturday, the Association of Hong Kong Nursing...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 29Hong Kong’s IPO revival faces test as three new stocks stumble on debutHong Kong welcomed four companies to start trading on Tuesday after they raised a combined HK$14.4 billion (US$1.83 billion) – but three opened below their offer prices, adding pressure to an already sluggish month for initial public offerings (IPOs). Automated equipment manufacturer RoboTechnik Intelligent Technology was the largest company to make its debut, having raised HK$5.18 billion, but its shares traded nearly 10 per cent below the offer price in morning trading. Shenzhen Kinwong...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 29‘Safeguard the truth and strengthen global reach,’ John Lee urges Hong Kong mediaHong Kong’s media should eliminate falsehoods and expand their global reach, the chief executive has said, urging news workers to serve as “spokespeople” for good stories about mainland China and Hong Kong. Speaking on Tuesday at an event marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, city leader John Lee Ka-chiu outlined his two expectations for the industry. He first directed media workers to safeguard the truth, dispel falsehoods and exalt the good, invoking a...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 29Man who allegedly hid 3 pinhole cameras in Hong Kong gym changing rooms out on bailA Hong Kong man who allegedly installed pinhole cameras in the changing rooms of a popular gym chain has been released on bail pending the identification of victims. Construction site foreman Fung Kwok-wang, 34, was not required to answer a count of voyeurism in his first appearance at Sha Tin Court on Tuesday, as prosecutors sought an eight-week adjournment for further police inquiries. Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong granted the defendant HK$2,000 (US$255) bail on condition that he...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 295 things to do over the National Day ‘golden week’ holiday in Hong KongHong Kong is set to welcome 1.29 million mainland Chinese visitors over the National Day “golden week” break, fuelling questions online about what locals and tourists can do during the celebrations. On popular mainland social media platform RedNote, many users have recommended a range of activities, such as visiting the countryside, exploring the Unesco Global Geopark in Sai Kung, cycling and watching fireworks. To help tourists and locals alike, the South China Morning Post shares some of the...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 29Hong Kong mustn’t miss the boat on the Pinglu Canal and Asean tradeThe official opening of the Pinglu Canal on September 16 is a milestone in modern Chinese history. More than an infrastructural feat, it signals a strategic recalibration of how China’s inland economies connect with the sea and Southeast Asia, and augurs the next phase of regional growth. Designed for vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes, the 134.2km (83.4 mile) waterway stretches from the Xijin reservoir in Hengzhou, an emerging city in Guangxi, to the Gulf of Tonkin (known as the Beibu Gulf in...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 29Can Hong Kong protect its eco-sensitive sites amid ‘golden week’ overtourism fears?Hong Kong is bracing for a surge of mainland Chinese visitors to its eco-sensitive areas during the National Day “golden week” holiday, as strong interest in countryside attractions raises questions over whether the city can absorb crowds without overwhelming popular sites. A review of discussions on Chinese social media platform RedNote on Monday by the South China Morning Post found Po Pin Chau, famed for its dramatic volcanic rock columns, among the most talked-about sightseeing spots,...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 28Strong AI demand prompts Hong Kong trade body to raise exports growth forecastStronger-than-expected global demand for artificial intelligence-related products has prompted the Trade Development Council to sharply raise its full-year forecast for Hong Kong export growth in 2026 to as much as 47 per cent. The latest revision follows the council in June raising its midyear forecast to 20 per cent growth, from an earlier estimate of 8 to 9 per cent. Its latest survey of the city’s major exporters also found that their business confidence and market expectations had remained...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 28Hong Kong checkpoints to handle 7.44 million passenger trips for National Day breakHong Kong’s checkpoints are expected to handle about 7.44 million passenger trips over mainland China’s National Day “golden week” break, while people movements are anticipated to peak this weekend. The Immigration Department said on Monday that the figure would include inbound and outbound trips by Hongkongers and visitors travelling via the city’s sea, land and air control points between October 1 and 7. The department also said it anticipated that the most popular control points would be...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 28Hong Kong wages rise 3.4% in June, with government expecting further gainsHong Kong wages rose by 3.4 per cent year on year in June, with the government forecasting further pay rises ahead on the back of sustained economic expansion and labour demand. Figures released on Monday by the Census and Statistics Department showed that the 3.4 per cent nominal wage rise was broad based across all surveyed industries. After adjusting for inflation using the consumer price index (A), overall real wages grew by 1.6 per cent in June year on year, keeping basic pay growth ahead...South China Morning Post
DISASTERSep 28At least 21 Hong Kong-Bangkok flights delayed amid flooding in Thai capitalAt least 21 flights connecting Hong Kong and Bangkok were disrupted on Sunday and Monday, with passengers on one service leaving the Thai capital facing a nearly 24-hour delay after the Southeast Asian city was hit by its worst flood in 15 years. Heavy rainfall lashed Bangkok – a top travel destination for Hongkongers – between Thursday and Monday, prompting Thai officials to declare the city a disaster zone. Despite the flight disruptions, Hongkongers in the Thai capital said the central...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 28Hong Kong launches 1-month consultation on arbitration law reformsHong Kong authorities have launched a one-month consultation to reform the city’s arbitration laws, as part of efforts to enhance its competitiveness as an international dispute resolution hub and advance an objective laid out in its first local five-year plan. The Department of Justice said on Monday that the one-month stakeholder consultation for amendments to the Arbitration Ordinance, which governs the use of the alternative dispute resolution mechanism, would cover four key areas to enhance...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 28Hong Kong office expansion lags hiring push as tenants optimise current space: ColliersMore than a third of Hong Kong’s office tenants are expecting to increase headcounts over the next 12 months, but only a fifth are likely to expand their real estate footprint, according to a survey by Colliers. The results of the fourth annual Hong Kong occupier survey by the property consultancy pointed to a “growing disconnect between hiring intentions and office expansion plans, as many occupiers continue to absorb growth within their existing premises through more efficient space...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSSep 28Hong Kong finds gold-trading leader in former exchange executive Bryan ChanThe Hong Kong government has appointed Bryan Chan Ping-keung, a former executive at bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), as CEO to lead the development and operation of the city’s new central clearing and settlement system for gold. Chan will head Hong Kong Precious Metals Central Clearing (HKPMCC), a wholly government-owned entity established in January to run the clearing system for precious metals. His appointment would take effect on October 2 for a three-year term,...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 28Hong Kong customs arrests 2, seizes HK$290,000 of ‘slimming injections’ from JapanHong Kong customs officers have seized 400 so-called slimming injections imported from Japan, with an estimated market value of about HK$290,000 (US$36,970), and arrested two local residents in an operation earlier this month. The case came to light on September 5, when officers intercepted a suspicious postal packet imported from Japan at the Air Mail Centre. “Upon inspection, customs officers found and seized 400 anti-obesity injection vials suspected to contain Part 1 poisons from the...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 28Hong Kong cracks down on visitors abusing visas to run one-stop shop tourist servicesHong Kong immigration authorities are cracking down on tourists abusing their visas to run unlicensed one-stop shops offering cosmetic, photography and tour guide services. Li Kwing-chiu, a task force commander with the Immigration Department, revealed on Monday that four women, aged 20 to 31, were arrested for allegedly breaching their conditions of stay by running a one-stop shop that charged several hundred Hong Kong dollars a day for various services. The suspects entered the city on tourist...South China Morning Post
WORLDSep 28Hong Kong authorities investigate yacht that allegedly charged at boat with 6 rowersHong Kong marine authorities have launched an investigation after a yacht sped directly towards a boat rowed by six athletes during a race in Sai Kung over the weekend, with one of the rowers alleging the act was “deliberate”. The incident came to light on Sunday after one of the rowers, Eddie Lam Yat-ming, an assistant professor at the Hong Kong Metropolitan University’s Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, shared footage of the encounter on social media. Lam was taking part in...South China Morning Post