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BUSINESSAug 20Hong Kong conglomerate seeks $1 . 5 billion in damages from Panama for takeover of canal portsA Hong Kong conglomerate is seeking $1.5 billion in damages from Panama for the alleged takeover of canal ports. This highlights a major international business and legal dispute.mymotherlode.com · United States
SCI & TECHAug 20Hong Kong drivers to renew vehicle licences in 1 day by year-end under AI systemHong Kong drivers will be able to renew their vehicle licences within one day by year-end, down from the current processing time of up to 10 working days, under new artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives aimed at streamlining transport services and traffic management. The “Easy Licence Application Approval” system, announced by the Transport Department on Thursday, will be launched by the end of this year. It will use large language models to automatically recognise, cross-check and verify...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 20Cathay Pacific to launch direct flights between Hong Kong and Almaty in JanuaryCathay Pacific Airways will launch direct passenger flights between Hong Kong and Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, in January, making it the airline’s first Central Asian destination and establishing the only non-stop service between the two. The three-times-weekly service will begin on January 9 next year. Flights will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, subject to regulatory approval, the airline said. The outbound flight will depart Hong Kong at 4.25pm and arrive in Almaty at...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 20Pet owner barred from leaving Hong Kong pending trial over his dog’s fatal attacksA man has been barred from leaving Hong Kong pending trial over allegations that he failed to properly control his dog, which mauled two smaller pets to death and injured a third. Yuen Long resident Ng Shui-ting, 52, appeared at Tuen Mun Court on Thursday to face two charges brought by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. He allegedly failed to keep the 60kg (132lbs) dog securely restrained on a leash no longer than two metres, allowing it to enter and remain in the open area...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 20Hong Kong conglomerate seeks $1 . 5 billion in damages from Panama for takeover of canal ports – Winnipeg Free PressA Hong Kong conglomerate is seeking $1.5 billion in damages from Panama following the takeover of canal ports. This represents a major international business and legal dispute.winnipegfreepress.com · Canada
BUSINESSAug 20Hong Kong sees opportune time for advancing IPO connect scheme: IPO queen Pamela ChungHong Kong is seeing an opportune time to move forward with a so-called IPO connect scheme, according to Pamela Chung Kong-hung, Vistra’s managing director and head of its IPO & Share Registry Services, who says the scheme would allow mainland investors access to initial public offerings (IPOs) in Hong Kong, enabling better price discovery and expanding the investor capital pool to better match the city’s large IPO pipeline. “The secondary market connect has been operating very stably without...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 20Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison seeks HK$11.7b from Panama over canal ports disputeHong Kong-based CK Hutchison has launched international arbitration against Panama, seeking more than HK$11.7 billion (US$1.5 billion) in damages over the government’s takeover of two strategic ports at the entrances to the Panama Canal. Announcing the move on Thursday, the Li Ka-shing family-backed conglomerate said Panama had breached an investment-protection treaty and international law through “sovereign acts” targeting its decades-old concession to operate the Balboa and Cristobal...South China Morning Post
HEALTHAug 19Hong Kong unveils its first dedicated psychiatric facility for under-18sHong Kong’s main psychiatric hospital has unveiled the city’s first facility exclusively dedicated to child and adolescent patients, as part of a wider redevelopment that offers upgraded wards designed to enhance service quality and foster recovery. The redevelopment of Kwai Chung Hospital has increased the total construction floor area from 80,000 to 134,000 square metres, ensuring it can provide 1,000 beds for psychiatric patients. It also involved the reallocation of specialist outpatient...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 19Prudential Hong Kong expands headquarters amid Beijing’s intensified wealth oversightPrudential Hong Kong has agreed to lease headquarters space at Swire Properties’ One Taikoo Place and One Island East, marking a notable expansion of its office footprint in the city, according to the developer. Under the agreement, the insurer will occupy a total of 83,000 sq ft across the two buildings, “reinforcing the company’s commitment to Hong Kong and Taikoo Place as its long-term headquarters”, said Swire Properties, one of Hong Kong’s largest commercial developers and landlords, in a...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 19Hong Kong Cyclothon returns with new extended ‘five tunnels, three bridges’ routePublic registration for Hong Kong’s flagship annual cycling event will open on Thursday, with more than 6,500 places available across two non-competitive rides scheduled for October 11. This year’s Hong Kong Cyclothon, hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, will feature a new extended 56km (34.8 miles) non-competitive ride on a “Five Tunnels, Three Bridges” route. The new route will take participants along the newly opened Central Kowloon Bypass for the first time, spanning six districts: Yau...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 19Hong Kong parents lose legal bid to get baby Danny back from welfare authoritiesThe parents of a Hong Kong baby taken into the care of welfare authorities have lost a legal bid to have their home-born baby son returned to them, with the judge arguing the father’s child-raising methods failed to consider the possible risks. High Court Judge Queeny Au Yeung Kwai-yue on Wednesday dismissed Tsang Wai-bong’s application after he earlier filed a writ of habeas corpus regarding his son Danny. The boy was placed in a shelter run by the Social Welfare Department after a child...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 19Hong Kong considering euthanising large dog after fatal attacks on 2 petsThe owner of a large dog that mauled two smaller pets to death in Yuen Long earlier this week has expressed “regret” over signing the animal to authorities and hopes to withdraw the surrender, according to the founder of a local animal rescue group. The new development followed a remark made by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) on Wednesday that the dog might be euthanised if its owner chose to surrender it, or, alternatively, have it formally classified as a “known...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 19Hong Kong Gold Exchange taps tech strength in joint venture to power gold settlementThe Hong Kong Gold Exchange (HKGX) and TGX Technology have launched a joint venture to build a “secure, stable and internationally competitive” gold trading and clearing platform, as the city pushes to become a gold trading hub. Hong Kong Gold Exchange Trading System (HKGXTS) would draw on technology partners, including Alibaba Cloud – which backs TGX Technology – and Hundsun Technologies, to deliver the platform, according to a statement issued on Tuesday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning...South China Morning Post
POLITICSAug 19Hong Kong needs a mission for 2049 to focus its 5-year plansHong Kong is formulating its first five-year plan for economic and social development. Such plans are likely to become a regular feature of governance, and will shape how the city allocates land, builds housing and infrastructure, develops industries, trains talent and improves public services. They can also give government departments a common frame for action, rather than leaving them to operate in separate silos. Yet successive five-year plans should do more than set medium-term priorities....South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 19Use of yuan hits 6-month high in Hong Kong’s fast-payment systemHong Kong’s fast-transfer payments denominated in yuan surged to a six-month high in July, signalling accelerating adoption of real-time cross-border retail payment channels even as mainland Chinese authorities maintain tight controls on capital outflows. Transaction values through Hong Kong’s Faster Payment System (FPS) for yuan reached 350.3 billion yuan (US$60 billion) in July, marking a 34 per cent increase from February, according to official data published by Hong Kong Interbank Clearing...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 18After years, Macau firm opts out of Hong Kong renewal project, seeks US$153m for siteA North Point redevelopment site is being put on the market for HK$1.2 billion (US$153 million) after its owner, which spent years assembling the ageing property, warned that redeveloping it could result in losses of as much as 30 per cent. The sale offers a rare glimpse into the difficulties facing private developers in Hong Kong’s urban-renewal drive, where lengthy acquisition periods, financing costs and uncertain returns can undermine projects even as the residential market recovers. Cushman...South China Morning Post
POLITICSAug 18US Democrats rebuke Trump for easing sanctions on Beijing, Hong Kong officialsSeveral top US Democratic lawmakers chided US President Donald Trump on Tuesday for easing sanctions recently on Chinese and Hong Kong officials who, they said, were “complicit in Beijing’s dismantling of Hong Kong’s autonomy”. “We write to express serious concern,” the four-page letter said. “It raises serious questions about the durability of US policy towards Hong Kong that we believe warrant a direct response from the administration.” On July 14, the US allowed its designation of Hong Kong...South China Morning Post
HEALTHAug 18Infertility may affect 79.6 million women by 2036, posing challenge for Hong KongGlobal infertility cases among women aged 35 to 49 will rise by nearly 50 per cent over the next decade, reaching 79.64 million, a study shows, posing a major public health challenge for Hong Kong as delayed childbearing becomes increasingly common. The study, co-led by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and shared on Tuesday, said the city’s average maternal age was among the world’s highest and called for stronger fertility education and earlier reproductive planning rather than a primary focus...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 1882% of Chinese firms eye overseas growth, with Hong Kong top service support choiceMore than 80 per cent of surveyed mainland Chinese companies plan to grow their overseas presence, with Hong Kong listed as their top choice for a professional services platform to support expansion, the Trade Development Council (TDC) has found. The council’s survey, published on Tuesday, also showed that about 94 per cent of respondents were eyeing countries in the Belt and Road Initiative for expansion. The initiative refers to Beijing’s ambitious global infrastructure and trade programme,...South China Morning Post
POLITICSAug 18Hong Kong court orders defunct Apple Daily to pay HK$1.5 million over defamatory articlesA Hong Kong court has ordered the defunct Apple Daily newspaper to pay HK$1.5 million in damages to a listed company and two senior executives over 10 defamatory articles that accused them of spying on the city’s pro-democracy activists at Beijing’s behest. In a written judgment delivered on Tuesday, the High Court ruled against former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s flagship publication after the outlet – taken over by liquidators following a government petition in 2021 – presented no evidence...South China Morning Post
POLITICSAug 18Create judge training pathway to tackle Hong Kong courtroom delays: think tankHong Kong should establish a full-time training pathway for top law graduates to become judges, helping to expand the local judicial talent pool and ease courtroom delays, a think tank founded by Executive Council member Ronny Tong Ka-wah has proposed. POD Research Institute founder Tong also said on Tuesday that reducing waiting times for a court date would ensure the rule of law was upheld and safeguard human rights. The think tank noted that the vacancy rate among judges and judicial officers...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 18Hong Kong 5-year plan should have Northern Metropolis tax breaks, listing reforms: HKICPAThe Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) has urged the government to introduce tax incentives to help develop the Northern Metropolis and to improve the stock exchange’s listing regime to further cement the city’s role in international finance. The organisation’s submission for Hong Kong’s first five-year plan asked the government to consider tax incentives for investors who fund start-ups based in the Northern Metropolis, said Stephen Law Cheuk-kin, president of the...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 18Hong Kong’s population edges up 0.3% but births fall below 30,000 for first timeHong Kong’s population rose slightly by 0.3 per cent year on year to more than 7.5 million by mid-2026 but the number of babies born fell by 15.6 per cent to below 30,000 for the first time on record, despite government incentives to boost the birth rate. The government on Tuesday attributed the slight population increase to “various measures for talent attraction and labour importation” that continued to bring people from around the world to Hong Kong, which offset the impact of natural...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 18Hong Kong customs arrests 10 over HK$56 million cannabis haul bound for Europe, AfricaHong Kong customs has arrested 10 people and seized suspected cannabis buds worth an estimated HK$56 million (US$7 million) in a month-long operation targeting a syndicate accused of smuggling the drug from Southeast Asia to Europe and Africa via the city. Code-named Fire Mesh, the operation ran from July 13 to Monday this week and resulted in the seizure of about 240kg (529lbs) of cannabis buds, the Customs and Excise Department said on Tuesday. “We targeted transit baggage from Southeast Asia...South China Morning Post