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POLITICSAug 17How has John Lee’s promise of a ‘new chapter’ for Hong Kong held up?It made perfect sense for Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to hold public consultations on both the city’s first five-year plan and the last policy address of his current term at the same time. Many have been putting forward views that warrant serious consideration. It is clear that Lee needs to be bolder when it comes to the “new chapter” he promised in 2022 when he was elected. The Northern Metropolis is only one part of the city’s transformation; his coming policy address must lay...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 17Hong Kong airport passenger traffic up 11 . 7 pct in H1 : financial secretaryHong Kong airport reported an 11.7% increase in passenger traffic during the first half of the year, according to the financial secretary.en.people.cn · China
BUSINESSAug 17Hong Kong firm bets on Chinese open-weight models to rival CoreWeaveThe rise of Chinese open-weight models has shaken up the global artificial intelligence (AI) market in recent months. With China’s systems offering high performance at a lower cost, businesses around the world are looking at shifting away from Silicon Valley’s leading providers. Now, a new Hong Kong-based company aims to turn that trend into a billion-dollar business. The “neo-cloud” provider Antimatter is helping firms switch from the dominant US models – and the cloud systems that serve them –...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 17How to help more of Hong Kong’s non-Chinese-speaking students reach universityThe percentage of non-Chinese-speaking students who sat Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams and were admitted to the city’s public universities has remained persistently low over the past five academic years, with no clear signs of a change in sight. Veteran educators who teach such pupils, classified by the government as NCS students, attributed the trend to three main factors: high failure rates in core mathematics; deficiencies in Chinese-language studies; and a lack of...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 16Launch of Northern Metropolis flats attracts strong interest from Hong Kong homebuyersHong Kong homebuyers flocked to the first batch of units at a major residential project in the Northern Metropolis with 44 – or more than half – of the 82 flats made available via regular sale finding buyers as of 7.30pm on Sunday, according to agents. Wheelock Properties’ Park Silicon project in Kwu Tung North also sold eight units via tender worth more than HK$78.43 million (US$9.99 million), the developer said. The units were among the 18 available via tender starting Sunday. The positive...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 16Boy, 13, among 16 arrested as Hong Kong police tackle juvenile crimeHong Kong police have arrested 16 people as part of efforts to clamp down on juvenile crime, with those apprehended including a 13‑year‑old boy linked to a shoplifting case involving stolen goods worth about HK$4,000 (US$510). Officers from the force’s New Territories South regional headquarters said on Sunday that the arrestees, aged 13 to 39, included 11 teenagers. They were apprehended on suspicion of various offences, including disorderly conduct, possession of offensive weapons and...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 16University of Hong Kong, CityU secure spots in global university top 100Two Hong Kong universities have secured places in the top 100 of an academic ranking that assesses 1,000 institutions worldwide. The University of Hong Kong (HKU) rose five places from 67th last year to 62nd, while City University of Hong Kong (CityU) climbed four places from 99th to 95th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities, released by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy on Saturday. Launched in 2003, the annual ranking was initially published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University before...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 16Is Hong Kong character at centre of new Disneyland show a pangolin?Hong Kong Disneyland is collaborating with Pixar Animation Studios to offer an exclusive theatrical experience centred around a home-grown character, with the resort dropping clues in its concept art that suggest she could be a pangolin. The theme park announced on Sunday that a massive theatre space would be unveiled at Toy Story Land in the first half of 2027, with the theatrical experience to be exclusive to the city. “Through beloved Pixar characters, guests will experience an emotional...South China Morning Post
CYBERAug 16Hong Kong ex-regulator manager charged over unauthorised access to confidential filesHong Kong’s corruption watchdog has charged a former manager at a financial regulator with unauthorised access to its internal computer system to view confidential case files and licensee data. Tong Ka-lei, 39, who previously worked in the enforcement division of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), faces 12 counts of obtaining access to a computer with a view to dishonest gain for herself or another, in breach of the Crimes Ordinance. She is scheduled to appear at Eastern Court on...South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 16Eat, move, live well: Hong Kong styleThis article explores the concept of eating, moving, and living well, specifically in the style of Hong Kong. It provides insights into a particular lifestyle.South China Morning Post
WORLDAug 16Hong Kong boy, 14, arrested for animal cruelty after badly injured cat diesA 14-year-old Hong Kong boy has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after bringing a badly injured cat that later died to a clinic for treatment. Police said on Sunday that they received a report from an employee of a veterinary clinic in Cheung Sha Wan at 6.25pm on August 10, suspecting that a cat had been ill-treated. “The informant said a 14-year-old boy had brought a cat for treatment, and found that the cat had injuries, suspecting that it had been treated inappropriately, which...South China Morning Post
POLITICSAug 16Flags to fly at half-staff in Hong Kong as tribute to late ex-premier Zhu RongjiHong Kong will fly the national and regional flags at half-staff at various government sites on Tuesday to mourn the late former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji. The government said on Sunday it would lower the flags at government headquarters in Admiralty, Government House, all control points and checkpoints at border crossings and Hong Kong International Airport. The tribute will be paid on the day of Zhu’s cremation, in accordance with a notice issued by state news agency Xinhua. It said that...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 16Death knell? Hong Kong’s five-year plan is a starting gunI’m a little perplexed and bemused by the brouhaha surrounding Hong Kong’s decision to draft its first five-year plan, as if the sky is falling in around the city’s famed laissez-faire economy. Predictably, Yale University’s Stephen Roach (he of “Hong Kong is over” fame) warned in a commentary last month that “Chinese-style central planning” could “over-promise and under-deliver”. In a 2024 commentary, he said Hong Kong had been “shackled by the deadweight of autocracy”. But from my vantage...South China Morning Post
POLITICSAug 16Snooker stars not in Hong Kong just for low tax, immigration chief saysHong Kong’s immigration chief has rejected claims that world‑class snooker players are using a local talent scheme primarily to cut their tax bills, saying zero‑tax Middle Eastern destinations would be more logical if avoidance were the only goal. Director of Immigration Benson Kwok Joon‑fung stressed on Sunday that the city’s public safety, convenient transport and education system appealed to global talent, pushing back against criticism in a televised interview after snooker star Jimmy White...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 16Impact of US trade policy shifts on Hong Kong ‘primarily psychological’: Paul ChanChanges in US trade policy and interest rate trends will significantly affect Hong Kong’s economy but the impact will be “primarily psychological”, the finance chief has said, while expressing optimism for growth momentum to continue into the second half of the year. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also revealed that Hong Kong welcomed 31 million visitors in the first seven months of this year, a 12 per cent increase year on year, while passenger throughput at Hong Kong International Airport...South China Morning Post
DISASTERAug 16Heatwave to persist in Hong Kong before thunderstorms set in midweekScorching weather will persist across Hong Kong on Sunday and Monday, with maximum temperatures climbing to 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) before a low-pressure system brings squally thunderstorms and unsettled weather by midweek. The very hot weather warning has been in force since 6.45am on Sunday, with temperatures across the city ranging from 28 to 33 degrees, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. Mercury in Tai Po soared to 34.8 degrees at noon. “Winds will be weak and the weather...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 16Singapore Inc hopes AI access will stop finance high-flyers moving to Hong KongClose relations with both US and China mean the latest AI models are easily accessible in the city-stateFinancial Times
POLITICSAug 16Hong Kong’s growing wealth inequality: will it be an M- or olive-shaped society?An ageing society and a widening income gap threaten Hong Kong’s social fabric. In the last of a five-part series on the city’s five-year plan, we look at what can be done to address these key issues. Read part one here, part two here, part three here and part four here. At 71, Man Chi-ying is the sole carer for her husband, Fung Yu-hoi, a Parkinson’s disease patient. Fung, who is also 71, has stiff limbs and, on some days, needs his wife’s help getting dressed. She has to hold his hand to keep...South China Morning Post
POLITICSAug 15Hong Kong’s new university town a test of the city’s global ambitionsHong Kong’s Northern Metropolis University Town is no longer just a planning concept. After site visits by a university town task force, the government has reportedly absorbed lessons from overseas models, expanded the university town area to more than 1,000 hectares, received 19 proposals from local institutions and moved towards phased site tendering and development. The project has become something more significant: a test of what Hong Kong wants its higher education system to do in a...South China Morning Post
MILITARYAug 15Hong Kong stages first counterterrorism drill at redeveloped Huanggang crossingHong Kong authorities have conducted a counterterrorism drill at the revamped Huanggang border crossing and used a new “crowd flow” test to simulate an unexpected surge in passenger numbers, with about 5,000 civil servants taking part. The counterterrorism exercise on Saturday was the first such drill to be held at the redeveloped checkpoint building. A Security Bureau spokesman said civil servants from around 30 bureaus took part in the drill, which aimed to test authorities’ management of...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 15Northern Metropolis and AI vital to Hong Kong’s 5-year plan: business chambersHong Kong’s inaugural five-year plan should prioritise the Northern Metropolis megaproject, strengthen the city’s position as an international financial centre and advance its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, major business chambers have said. In submissions for the city’s first five-year plan, groups including the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (AmCham) and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries (FHKI) identified the Northern Metropolis as a key economic driver. Their...South China Morning Post
SCI & TECHAug 15Hong Kong’s biodiversity ‘richer than we know’ but many species lack protectionHong Kong’s lush forests are teeming with more wildlife ranging from birds arriving from neighbouring regions to newly discovered reptile and insect species, experts have found, as they urge authorities to devise a conservation list to protect vulnerable local species. The call by the city’s conservationists to formulate a “red list” – a long-awaited measure since 2014 – coincided with National Ecology Day on Saturday. Gary Ades, head of fauna conservation at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSAug 15Hong Kong’s night economy must focus on after-dark vibes, not eventsMore than 86,000 football fans passed through Kai Tak Stadium over two nights recently as Manchester City faced Inter Milan and Chelsea took on Juventus. Supporters filled nearby malls and restaurants, with some merchants reporting foot traffic three to four times higher than usual. For those few hours, Kai Tak offered a glimpse of what Hong Kong’s day-to-night economy could become: international visitors and local residents arriving early and extending the occasion beyond the stadium. The...South China Morning Post
POLITICSAug 15‘Living in two worlds at once’: work in Hong Kong, live and play in Greater Bay AreaRegional cooperation is a key priority in Hong Kong’s first five-year plan. In the fourth of a five-part series on the plan, we look at how life in the Greater Bay Area can get better, with the right policies. Read part one here, part two here and part three here. Eager to escape Hong Kong’s suffocating housing conditions, university administrative worker Polly Chan decided in 2023 to rent a weekend flat in Guangzhou. On weekdays, she lives with her mother in a cramped 300 sq ft flat in Tai Po....South China Morning Post