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POLITICSOct 5Bid to turn 14 subsidised Hong Kong sale flats into subdivided homes raises abuse concernsThe owners of 14 subsidised sale flats have applied for a grace period to comply with Hong Kong’s new regulatory regime for subdivided homes, the housing minister has revealed, raising concerns that public resources were being abused. The cases were disclosed on Monday at a Legislative Council housing panel meeting when lawmaker Mark Chong Ho-fung asked Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin about the use of subsidised sale flats as subdivided units for renting. Chong said flats sold under the...South China Morning Post
HEALTHOct 5Hong Kong IVF clinic cleared to resume all services after embryo specimen mix-upA Hong Kong fertility clinic that had most of its services suspended for mishandling embryo biopsy specimens from two patients has been cleared to fully resume all treatments after implementing improvement measures. The Council on Human Reproductive Technology said on Monday that Heal Fertility in Central could resume all 17 treatment services covered by its licence from Tuesday, after members reviewed the findings of a follow-up inspection and confirmed the clinic had properly implemented the...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSOct 5Mainland Chinese arrivals to Hong Kong surged at start of ‘golden week’ holidayMainland Chinese arrivals to Hong Kong surged at the start of the National Day “golden week” holiday before easing towards last year’s levels, with a lawmaker attributing the early rush partly to the city’s fireworks display and tourists making the most of a shorter break. Immigration Department figures showed that 277,304 mainland visitors arrived on October 1, up 19.1 per cent from 232,751 on the first day of last year’s holiday and 25.1 per cent from the 221,644 recorded in 2024. “The...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSOct 5Adrian Cheng, former scion of Hong Kong’s NWD, expands K11 brand in XiamenAdrian Cheng Chi-kong, former heir apparent to Hong Kong’s New World Development (NWD), is expanding his K11 cultural retail business in mainland China, launching a venture of his own as his family’s property group grapples with heavy debt. Xiamen K11 Select, developed by Cheng’s K11 by AC Group along with state-owned Xiamen Rail Transit Group in the city in the southeastern province of Fujian, has attracted more than 2 million visits since its opening on September 22, with sales rising 32 per...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 5Hong Kong lawmakers say 5-year tax incentive too short to entice major innovative firmsHong Kong lawmakers have backed the government’s proposed tax incentives for large innovative companies, but many said on Monday that the planned five-year concession period is too short to attract major firms to establish headquarters or expand operations in the city. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his policy address last month said the government planned to submit a bill introducing preferential profits tax rates of either 5 per cent or 8.25 per cent, which was half of the city’s standard...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSOct 58 more firms from Belt and Road Initiative countries apply for IPOs in Hong KongEight more companies from countries belonging to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative have applied to list in Hong Kong, the city’s trade promotion chief has revealed. Frederick Ma Si-hang, chairman of the Trade Development Council, also said on Monday the city’s economy would benefit from improving China-US ties. Speaking on the sidelines of the Global Youth Powerhouse Summit, Ma said interest in Hong Kong’s capital markets from Central Asia had surged after a high-level delegation led by Chief...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSOct 5Gaw Capital seeks Hong Kong listing for real estate private debt fundGaw Capital plans to list a new Hong Kong fund that will invest in private loans backed by property assets across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, including but not limited to Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea, a draft listing document showed.thestandard_hk · hong kong
BUSINESSOct 5Benchmarking Asia’s Global Hubs: Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce Unveils the Asian Cities Internationality Index 2026Tracking 11 major cities to assess internationality, the index provides data-driven insights to shape urban policy, guide business strategy, and encourage regional exchangethesun_my · malaysia
SCI & TECHOct 5Hong Kong outlines 4-step AI ‘talent ladder’ to offset entry-level job shockHong Kong has unveiled a four-step artificial intelligence (AI) “talent ladder” strategy to counter entry-level job shock and foster industry leaders, viewing the technology as a “catalyst, not a threat”. Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Kevin Choi Kit-ming warned on Monday that the “entry-level shock” was real because AI performed well in many routine tasks that once made up a graduate’s first job, such as basic coding and first-line customer service. Speaking at the...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 5Is Hong Kong’s drive to eliminate substandard housing doing more harm than good?Housewife May and her three children were overjoyed last September when they moved into a 200 sq ft subdivided flat in Kwai Tsing, a Hong Kong district with one of the city’s lowest average monthly household incomes. For years, the 50-year-old single parent had lived in a squatter hut with her son and two daughters, where they had to climb hundreds of stairs daily. They later moved into a 100 sq ft subdivided flat before securing their current place. Located on the 15th floor of a lift-equipped...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 5Hong Kong resisted rigid 5-year plan goals to allay planned economy fears: ministerHong Kong refrained from setting overly rigid economic indicators in its first five-year plan to avoid fuelling concerns that it was moving towards a planned economy, according to the city’s constitutional affairs minister. The current priority should be hitting targets instead of dwelling on accountability mechanisms for potential shortcomings, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa said. Tse also emphasised the government’s efforts to explore administrative...South China Morning Post
WORLDOct 4Hong Kong builders take three WorldSkills honours in best CIC haul[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Nine young construction competitors from the Construction Industry Council returned from WorldSkills Shanghai with three Medallions for Excellence, the strongest finish the CIC has recorded at the competition. The honours went to Law Chak-sum in painting and decorating, Tse Yu-lok in welding, and the concrete construction work team of Huang To-kong and Wan Tsz-ho. It was Hong Kong’s first WorldSkills honour in concrete...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 41,500 Hong Kong residents tour revamped Huanggang Port border crossingMore than 1,500 Hong Kong residents toured the revamped Huanggang Port border crossing on Sunday as authorities pushed ahead with preparations for its opening. A Security Bureau spokesman said that participants took franchised buses or cross-boundary coaches from various districts to reach the crossing and were shown the new port building in groups. “The event effectively enhanced participants’ understanding of the public transport arrangements, immigration and customs clearance and...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 4Hong Kong issues amber rainstorm warningThe Hong Kong Observatory has issued an amber rainstorm warning, with the signal set to remain in place until 11.30pm on Sunday. The weather forecaster issued the warning at 8.20pm. “A few squally thunderstorms are expected to occur over Hong Kong,” a spokesman for the Observatory said. Showers would be heavy at times in the evening. The forecaster also warned that intense gusts reaching 70km/h (43mph) could affect the city. It said there would be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained...South China Morning Post
CYBEROct 4Hong Kong woman loses HK$21.5 million in cryptocurrency scamA 60-year-old Hong Kong woman has lost more than HK$21 million (US$2.7 million) in a cryptocurrency scam after a fraudster posing as an investment expert she met online duped her. The clerk reported the case to police on Saturday, saying she had befriended an individual claiming to be an investment specialist on “Baby Kingdom”, a popular online parenting forum and community website, on March 15 this year, a source said. The fraudster duped her into investing on a fake cryptocurrency platform...South China Morning Post
HEALTHOct 4TCM or Western medicine for sports injuries? Why this Hong Kong athlete chose bothIn the third instalment of a four-part Health Matters series on traditional Chinese medicine, Aidyn Fitzpatrick speaks to a Hong Kong fencer studying TCM and local practitioners to see how athletes, both elite and amateur, are using TCM alongside Western medicine for smarter injury recovery. Fresh off helping Hong Kong clinch a bronze medal in the women’s foil team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, fencer Janelle Leung Ya-lei – ranked 53rd in the world – knows the fine margin between peak...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSOct 4Hong Kong set to begin importing hundreds of carers from second half of 2027Hong Kong will begin importing hundreds of foreign domestic carers as early as the second half of 2027 under a new pilot scheme, with their pay up to 20 per cent higher than that of domestic helpers, the city’s labour minister has said. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Sunday that the carers would be equipped with both specialised elderly care skills and general domestic capabilities, and would first need to complete a 150-hour course in their home country. “We now need...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 4Hong Kong should review reducing number of Legco seats to cut cost, Rita Fan saysHong Kong’s first Legislative Council president following the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 has suggested reviewing the number of seats in Legco, citing the need to use public funds properly. Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai also said on Sunday that Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities had discussed the development of a plot at the two cities’ border before the 1997 handover, but the plan failed because of opposition within the government. Fan made the remarks during an appearance on a radio...South China Morning Post
WORLDOct 4John Lee hails ‘Hong Kong Spirit’ after city’s best-ever Asian Games achievementsHong Kong celebrated a historic performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu praised the city’s athletes for their determination and impressive achievements throughout the competitions.thestandard_hk · hong kong
HEALTHOct 466% of Hong Kong’s 8-year-olds could be short-sighted by 2028, experts warnMore than 60 per cent of Hong Kong’s eight-year-olds could be short-sighted by 2028, optometrists have predicted, citing a shrinking “hyperopic reserve” that normally helps delay nearsightedness. The Hong Kong Association of Private Practice Optometrists released the findings on Sunday from a screening of more than 3,500 pupils at eight primary schools conducted between November and May, urging parents to begin comprehensive eye checks when children turned three. The association found that 67...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSOct 4More Hong Kong homes sell at a loss despite signs prices have bottomed: agentsDespite signs that Hong Kong property prices could have bottomed out and begun rebounding in August, market sources said at least 100 secondary residential homes were sold at a loss in September, up from at least 81 the previous month. Hong Kong’s property market dodged an immediate setback from the US Federal Reserve’s rate increase in September, and agents estimated that home prices could end the year 15 per cent higher than a year earlier. The positive trend, however, did not generally apply...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 4Flight to Okinawa diverts back to Hong Kong after suspected landing gear faultA flight bound for Okinawa returned to Hong Kong airport on Sunday morning after its landing gear was suspected to have failed to fully retract after take-off. Hong Kong Airlines said the crew of flight HX676, which departed at 8.57am, decided to return to ensure safety, in line with standard procedures. “[The flight] encountered a suspected incomplete landing gear retraction issue after take-off,” the airline said. The aircraft landed safely at 10am, with no injuries reported on board. The...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSOct 4Hong Kong’s IPO haul more than doubles to HK$388b in first 9 months: Paul ChanFunds raised through initial public offerings in Hong Kong more than doubled year on year to over HK$388 billion (US$49.4 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, already surpassing the total amount for the whole of last year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has said. Adding to the positive outlook, Clara Chan Ka-chai, CEO of the government-owned Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), noted on Sunday that more than 30 of its portfolio firms were preparing to apply for Hong Kong listings...South China Morning Post
WORLDOct 4Cado Lee to carry Hong Kong flag at Asian Games closing ceremonyRugby player Cado Lee will lead the Hong Kong delegation as the flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games tonight at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.thestandard_hk · hong kong