An elderly man has died in hospital after being found hanging in his Hong Kong flat, where his wife was discovered with her head covered and declared dead shortly afterwards.
The couple’s daughter visited their flat in Fung King House at Lai King Estate in Kwai Chung on Friday and found her 70-year-old stepfather hanging by several phone charging cables in the living room.
She found her 78-year-old mother on a bed with her head covered.
The couple were rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital in...

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An injured juvenile crocodile has been found in a Hong Kong residential building, prompting a rescue operation by an animal concern group.
At about 1pm on Wednesday, police alerted the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) that a member of the public had reported spotting the reptile at a residential block on Tai Po Road in Sham Shui Po.
It was later confirmed to be a juvenile hybrid of a Siamese crocodile and a saltwater crocodile.
The SPCA said personnel equipped with rescue...

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Hong Kong police have arrested 29 people in a crackdown on a loan-sharking and money-laundering ring that charged victims annual interest rates as high as 3,000 per cent.
Police said on Wednesday that the syndicate had set up a secret call centre in Tsuen Wan and posed as licensed finance companies, randomly phoning people in an attempt to lure them into borrowing money.
In the process, they extracted personal information, including occupations, repayment ability and family background.
Small...

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Requiring that only incombustible materials be used for large-scale renovations at housing estates is unrealistic and fails to take into account risks that arise after prolonged use, a public inquiry into Hong Kong’s deadliest inferno in decades has heard.
The use of polyfoam boards to seal windows was among five key factors that led to the death toll of 168 people at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last year, experts said at the public inquiry session on Wednesday.
An expert appointed by the...

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Hong Kong education authorities have revealed that 91 students were suspected to have died by suicide between 2023 and 2025, with most cases involving secondary school students and boys.
The Education Bureau told lawmakers on Wednesday that the numbers of suspected fatal cases among primary and secondary students were 32 in 2023, 28 in 2024 and 31 in 2025.
An advocacy group said youth suicide was rarely caused by a single factor, but identified family issues as a leading underlying cause in Hong...

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Eight companies and 12 individuals suspected of rigging bids for at least 11 building maintenance projects in Hong Kong, including at Wang Fuk Court where 168 people died in a fire last year, are expected to face a month-long trial no earlier than 2028.
The Competition Tribunal held its first hearing on Wednesday for the companies and individuals accused by the Competition Commission of acting as a bid-rigging syndicate for building maintenance projects worth nearly HK$700 million (US$89.4...

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Hong Kong doctors have performed the world’s first robotic living-donor liver transplant as part of a pioneering microsurgery programme, researchers have revealed.
Sharing the results of the clinical trial on Wednesday, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) team said surgeons at Queen Mary Hospital had completed 48 procedures since June 2025, with no long-term or post-operative complications.
Microsurgery, which requires surgeons to operate under high-powered magnification on structures as fine as...

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Beijing’s recent investigation into three brokerages – Futu Securities, Tiger Brokers and Long Bridge – was partly driven by concerns over foreign exchange “leakage” and the need to protect mainland China’s vast base of retail investors, Hong Kong’s finance chief has said.
At a closed-door C-Suite roundtable organised by the South China Morning Post and the Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) on Wednesday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said Beijing was overall “supportive” of Hong...

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Hong Kong police have arrested a 15-year-old boy and his father in Wan Chai after officers intercepted the teenager behind the wheel at a late-night traffic checkpoint.
Officers from the force’s Hong Kong Island traffic section set up a roadblock at the junction of Marsh Road and Hung Hing Road at around 10pm on Tuesday.
During the routine traffic enforcement operation, police stopped a car and found the driver was a minor.
The 15-year-old non-Chinese boy was arrested on suspicion of driving...

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Hong Kong will allow elderly welfare recipients living in Guangdong and Fujian provinces to have cash assistance directly sent to their mainland Chinese bank accounts from July as part of a much-awaited arrangement, the city’s leader has said.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the scheme in a social media post on Wednesday during a visit to Fujian, where he met elderly Hongkongers living in the province.
“I’m delighted to hear from elderly residents that the monthly cash allowances...

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A Hong Kong primary school that earlier suggested hosting an overnight World Cup viewing event has instead opted to hold the gathering on a weekend morning in response to feedback from parents.
Chi Lin Buddhist Primary School in Tseung Kwan O clarified on Wednesday that its initial circular slating the event for the very early hours of July 15 sought only to gauge interest and holding the gathering in the day would allow more parents and pupils to watch the match together.
“After careful...

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Hong Kong police have arrested a 41-year-old mainland Chinese man on suspicion of impersonating a registered ride-hailing driver and working in breach of his visa conditions.
Officers from the force’s traffic New Territories North headquarters carried out the undercover operation on Tuesday afternoon, disguising themselves as passengers in Yuen Long before intercepting two private cars in Sheung Shui.
The force said the suspect and a 24-year-old local man were arrested for allegedly using motor...

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As a judge-led panel continues its public inquiry into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, experts are set to give evidence on factors that contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze.
Richard Yuen Kwok-kit, chair professor of architectural engineering at the City University, will testify on Wednesday before the independent committee regarding the fire at...

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“Hong Kong is the only city in the world with five universities ranked among the global top 100.” This talking point has become one of the Hong Kong government’s favourite slogans. It has appeared in government press releases and official speeches, including Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address last year.
Though pleasing to the ear, this distorts our education priorities. Hong Kong is also an outlier in attaching such political significance to university rankings.
Once the Hong Kong...

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As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.
A new piece of subsidiary legislation that allows Hong Kong’s leader to certify a case as involving national security is unlikely to affect appeals, as the reclassification will not help authorities succeed in legal challenges, the justice chief has said.
Secretary for Justice Paul...

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Receivers and agents of the Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung Hotel and the Four Points by Sheraton have expressed confidence in finally finding a buyer for the dual-branded complex – which together make up Hong Kong’s third-largest hotel by room count – as creditors move to dispose of the asset.
Sole agent Savills is holding a formal tender that is expected to close on August 31 for the 1,219-room property on Lantau Island, near the Tung Chung MTR station and the Hong Kong International...

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Bankers working for JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong must have been miffed when they were shut off from using artificial intelligence (AI) models from Anthropic, a pioneering American firm in the field.
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase pulled the plug in April and last week respectively, based on a strict interpretation of Anthropic’s terms of use, which reflect Washington’s stringent restrictions on China’s access to frontier American AI models.
The banks’ decisions are seen as a...

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Hong Kong’s construction industry and the broader building sector will be presented with a range of AI systems and robotics capable of automating parts of building sites and improving worker safety and efficiency when the Construction Industry Council (CIC) hosts a new industry event this week.
Scheduled for June 24 and 25, the first ever Global AI and Smart Construction Conference and Exhibition (GASCCE), taking place...

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The United States’ top envoy in Hong Kong has expressed optimism about US-China relations and pledged to continue seeking pragmatic and constructive ways to engage with the city’s officials.
US Consul General Julie Eadeh made the remarks at her first media briefing since assuming the post last August, held during an American Independence Day event on Tuesday.
The reception, marking the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence, was also attended by Jonathan Burke, US assistant secretary of...

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The son of a former mainland Chinese official has been remanded in custody in Hong Kong pending sentence for laundering more than HK$64 million, including a 4 million yuan bribe his father allegedly sought from a merchant a decade ago.
Xiao Rui, 37, will also be penalised for using bogus bank records to deceive the Immigration Department into granting him the right of abode in Hong Kong through a cash-for-residency scheme in 2013.
The District Court on Tuesday rejected Xiao’s assertion that he...

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Hong Kong’s lawmaker for the sports sector has urged authorities to focus on ensuring fair access to AI rather than attempting to restrict its use, arguing that the technology has increasingly reshaped athlete development and competitions.
Speaking at a World Economic Forum panel in mainland China’s Dalian on Tuesday, Kenneth Fok Kai-kong said that artificial intelligence (AI) was transforming sports in ways that differed from past technological advances.
Such changes had made it difficult to...

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China’s crackdown on cross-border securities trading could strengthen – rather than diminish – Hong Kong’s financial role, according to economists, as Beijing steers more capital through official channels and reinforces the city’s status as an offshore yuan hub.
“I would argue that these moves make the importance of Hong Kong even bigger,” Diana Choyleva, founder and chief economist at Enodo Economics, said on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions – also known...

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Hong Kong’s annual book fair returns in July with a renewed focus on cultural exploration, tourism and the role of AI in reading, with the organiser hoping to break last year’s visitor turnout.
The Trade Development Council (TDC) said on Tuesday that the 36th Hong Kong Book Fair would be themed on “Reading the World: Cultural Legacy | Joyful Journeys,” running from July 15 to 21 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.
“Through this theme, we hope to encourage residents to read works...

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Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways will lower fuel surcharges on most passenger flights for the second time in less than two months, with the revised rates taking effect from July 1 as fuel costs ease from highs triggered by the Middle East war.
Under the new rates announced on Tuesday, passengers departing from Hong Kong on long-haul flights to destinations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Southwest Pacific will pay HK$1,164 (US$148.48) per sector, down 14.5...

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Hong Kong police have arrested 69 people linked to a syndicate suspected of laundering about HK$200 million (US$25.5 million) from cross-border investment fraud affecting more than 170 victims.
The force said on Tuesday that 54 men and 15 women, aged between 18 and 60, were arrested on Monday in a joint operation with mainland Chinese authorities for alleged money laundering, involving “mule” bank accounts.
Losses from investment scams in Hong Kong reached HK$920 million between January and...

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About 60 per cent of Hong Kong schools are using artificial intelligence (AI) for teaching and administrative work, a survey has found, with researchers behind the poll calling for educators to improve their knowledge of the technology so they can better guide students.
The Education University of Hong Kong shared its findings on Tuesday, with the survey showing about 20 per cent of primary and secondary schools were actively exploring the use of AI in teaching, learning and administrative...

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A taxi driver and a passenger were injured after the vehicle collided with a truck on Kwun Tong Road in Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon.
Police said the crash occurred at about 12.25pm on the eastbound carriageway of the road, near Ping Shek Estate in Ngau Tau Kok.
The taxi was headed towards the public transport interchange in Choi Hung when it struck a medium goods vehicle that was travelling in the third lane, according to preliminary findings.
The cab driver, a 27-year-old woman surnamed Yip,...

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This article was first published on June 24, 2003.
WHO gives the all-clear
by Jimmy Cheung, Chow Chung-yan and Benjamin Wong
Hong Kong is ready to spend $1 billion to rebuild its battered image and lure back tourists and businesses after it was officially declared free of Sars by the World Health Organization yesterday (June 23, 2003).
Officials said the announcement had given the go-ahead for a campaign aimed at promoting Hong Kong as the best place for visitors and business in Asia.
The...

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Hong Kong must step up efforts to export its food culture and promote its culinary heritage, industry leaders have said after a recent study found that Cantonese restaurants have borne the brunt of the sector’s slump.
Data released this month by the Legislative Council Secretariat’s research office showed earnings for Chinese restaurants in the first quarter suffered the sector’s steepest contraction in revenue, plunging by 27.9 per cent from HK$13.44 billion (US$1.7 billion) in 2018 to HK$9.7...

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Senior officials from the European Union and Hong Kong are in talks to launch a financial services dialogue in November, with companies from the bloc keen to explore opportunities in the Northern Metropolis, the EU’s top representative in the city has said.
Ambassador Harvey Rouse, head of the EU Office in Hong Kong, made the remarks at the Greenway 2026 forum on Tuesday, where he highlighted opportunities for cooperation on sustainable innovation and the green transition.
In a keynote address,...

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As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.
Hong Kong’s next Kai Tak Cruise Terminal operator must be “very visionary” and do far more than simply manage cruise berthing operations, the city’s tourism minister has said, revealing that prospective bidders sought extra time to work on their proposals before the government...

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As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.
Hong Kong will build on the popularity of the old Yau Ma Tei police station exhibition by developing more heritage attractions that combine historic buildings with cultural experiences, the tourism chief has said, identifying Haw Par Mansion as one of the city’s next major...

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As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.
Hong Kong should focus on becoming “bigger and better”, rather than expecting neighbouring cities such as Shenzhen to “stand still”, the city’s tourism chief has said, as the government prepares its first five-year plan and seeks to raise the sector’s contribution to the...

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The Hong Kong government has launched a two-month public consultation for the city’s first five-year plan, marking an important milestone in its development. The blueprint provides the city with a clearer vision for the future and a systematic approach in pursuing further growth under the auspices of the “one country, two systems” framework. It also puts Hong Kong in a better position to align with China’s overall national development.
Over the past few months, various sectors of Hong Kong...

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An independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has ruled out seeking statutory powers to compel witnesses to testify, a move that has left some survivors concerned that key figures may avoid scrutiny.
Committee chairman Justice David Lok Kai-hong said the panel would not ask the chief executive to convert it into a statutory commission of inquiry during the ongoing investigation into last year’s Wang Fuk Court blaze, which resumed on Monday after a six-week...

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Hong Kong has signed six agreements with Fujian to step up collaboration in finance, trade, tourism and education, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu encouraging businesses from the mainland Chinese province to list on the city’s bourse for overseas expansion.
At the fifth Hong Kong-Fujian Cooperation Conference on Monday, the two sides finalised 28 collaborative projects across 11 areas, including aviation and shipping, logistics, innovation and technology, legal and dispute resolution, and...

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Hong Kong’s wild yellow-crested cockatoos may hold genetic traits that could help save the critically endangered species in Indonesia, a study has found.
The study, published in the Evolutionary Applications journal in May, underscored the importance of conserving the city’s cockatoo population.
Lead author Astrid Andersson from the University of Hong Kong’s school of biological sciences described these birds as a “backup”, preserving lineages of subspecies that may no longer exist in the...

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A doctor at Tuen Mun Hospital in Hong Kong has been fired for conducting an unauthorised procedure on a patient, in an incident linked to his medical intern girlfriend who was earlier dismissed and arrested for allegedly accessing patient data without permission.
The Hospital Authority (HA) said on Monday evening that an investigation found the resident doctor had acted dishonestly and committed serious misconduct, in breach of professional ethics and integrity.
The resident doctor was involved...

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A five-year-old boy died after his mother physically abused, confined and starved him until he was a mere 9.7kg (21.38lbs) – half the normal weight for his age – a Hong Kong court has heard.
The 38-year-old mother, only identified as “LST” at the High Court, on Monday pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter and another of cruelty to a child over the death of her son in September 2022.
An autopsy report showed the boy had starved to death and had also suffered 129 injuries to different parts...

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Police have arrested four more suspects linked to a high-profile knifepoint robbery in Hong Kong following a joint cross-border operation, though the stolen gold bars remain missing.
The force shared an update on its investigations on Monday, after a 36-year-old local man, carrying a backpack loaded with six gold bars weighing about 6kg (13.2lbs) and valued at HK$7 million (US$893,200), was ambushed by three knife-wielding assailants at Hong Kong International Airport’s car park 3 early on...

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Two mainland Chinese ride-hailing operators in Hong Kong have backed a controversial plan to regulate the industry by capping vehicle permits at 10,000, a figure the city’s largest American business chamber considers insufficient.
In submissions to the Legislative Council on Monday and in recent days, Amap and Didi Chuxing said they supported the Transport and Logistics Bureau’s proposed cap as part of a new regulatory regime scheduled to be passed by lawmakers in July.
Amap said the...

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A Hong Kong court has sentenced a 70-year-old gang member to a year in prison for forcing two Thai women into prostitution, after they fell for job scams claiming to be hiring massage therapists and were trafficked from Thailand to the city in 2023.
The District Court heard on Monday that Chiu Hon-leung ordered other gang members to lock the two women in a flat in Yau Ma Tei’s Temple Street and forced them to engage in sex work after they arrived in Hong Kong on February 7, 2023.
The two women,...

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Hong Kong police have arrested 24 drivers and issued more than 4,000 tickets during a two-week crackdown on distracted driving and jaywalking, after the number of deaths in road accidents surged more than 40 per cent in the first five months of the year.
During the two citywide operations from June 5 to 19, officers deployed unmarked traffic enforcement vehicles against dangerous driving behaviour such as using mobile phones behind the wheel, speeding, tailgating, unsafe lane changing, and...

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A Hong Kong primary school’s decision to host a late-night screening of a Fifa World Cup semi-final match on campus has triggered a wave of excitement online, with some saying it will be a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.
In a circular to parents, Chi Lin Buddhist Primary School in Tseung Kwan O said the event, scheduled for the early hours of July 15, aimed to let students experience the atmosphere of a major sporting event.
The first of the football tournament’s two semi-final matches is...

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A Hong Kong couple embroiled in custody battles for their two children have said their baby son has been taken to hospital after falling ill and was at one point recommended for meningitis testing.
The couple earlier sparked controversy for failing to register the birth of two-month-old baby Danny in the city and were arrested for alleged child neglect.
Danny’s father, Tsang Wai-bong, said on Monday that he and his partner Kwan Pui-sin were only allowed to visit the child – currently in a care...

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A Ferrari caught fire near a light rail stop in Hong Kong’s Tin Shui Wai on Monday morning.
Police said the driver reported the fire at 10.41am after exiting the black vehicle, which had no passengers on board, near Ginza Station.
Photos and videos circulating online show firefighters extinguishing the blaze as traffic builds up behind the car, with smoke billowing from the scene.
The fire was later put out. The front left side of the vehicle sustained the most damage, with half of the...

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A judge-led panel investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has resumed its public inquiry after a six-week break to hear expert evidence on the cause of the blaze that killed 168 people last year.
The independent committee probing the Wang Fuk Court inferno began its fifth round of hearings on Monday, with panel chairman Justice David Lok Kai-hong...

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Last week, Xia Baolong, Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong and Macau affairs, made a two-day trip to the city to review the Hong Kong government’s progress across many areas.
Everything seems to have been orchestrated with precision. Ahead of Xia’s arrival, the government launched its two-month public consultation on the city’s first five-year plan. The day after Xia concluded his visit, the government released its 200-plus page report on the impact of its targeted poverty alleviation...

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As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.
More mainland Chinese investors could gain access to a broader range of products in Hong Kong under a review by authorities, the finance chief has said, dismissing concerns that a recent crackdown on illegal cross-border stock trading could dent the city’s appeal.
Financial...

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