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WorldSai Kung’s Po Pin Chau trail fully booked ahead of upcoming holidays, as Hong Kong expects 1.3m mainland visitorsWorldPrison authorities accuse ‘anti-China’ figures of ‘fabricating lies’ after US group says guards rehearsed Jimmy Lai’s deathWorldHong Kong gov’t says it will not appeal court ruling overturning Fanling Golf Course housing approvalWorldGov’t considers 12 hours’ annual family care leave for civil servants to boost fertilityWorldNo contaminants found in ‘Scream’ drinks after school sports day tampering scare, police sayWorldXi says China, US should be ‘partners rather than rivals’: state mediaWorldHong Kong professor apologises for comments on marriage and women in academia, but maintains he ‘did not discriminate’WorldGov’t to revamp 1823 hotline, pledging 10-day response time for public enquiries
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BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Sai Kung’s Po Pin Chau trail fully booked ahead of upcoming holidays, as Hong Kong expects 1.3m mainland visitors

Sai Kung’s popular Po Pin Chau trail has been fully booked for part of the upcoming National Day holiday, when Hong Kong expects to see some 1.3 million arrivals from mainland China over the weeklong vacation. Po Pin Chau. Photo: AFCD. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said in a Facebook post on Thursday that no available time slots are left for the High Island Geo Trail – Po Pin Chau Section on Friday and Saturday next week. Bookings are also full for this Friday and Saturday during Mid-Autumn Festival, the country park managers added, although a small number of openings remain on other days of the mainland’s Golden Week break to celebrate the founding of the People’s Republic. The AFCD introduced a trial booking system last month for the site, which has seen a surge in visitors as views of the sea stack’s volcanic rock columns went viral on Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu, turning the remote path into a magnet for tourists “checking-in” online. East Dam, High Island Reservoir. Photo: Wikicommons. Visitors are required to book in advance for all weekends and public holidays beginning in September and ending on October 7—measures intended to stem ecological damage from overtourism and prevent accidents like the one that took the life of a mainland visitor on New Year’s Eve last year. The AFCD recommends that hikers who fail to secure a spot on the Po Pin Chau trail go to the nearby Biu Tsim Kok viewing point instead, which offers similar views but does not require advance booking. Hong Kong’s Immigration Department projects that around 1.29 million mainland Chinese will visit the city over the National Day holiday, which begins October 1. That equates to about 184,286 visitors daily—five per cent more than last year. Lantern S

Original sourceHong Kong Free Press HKFP
BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Prison authorities accuse ‘anti-China’ figures of ‘fabricating lies’ after US group says guards rehearsed Jimmy Lai’s death

The Correctional Services Department (CSD) has said it does not discuss prison security or “specific arrangements” for persons in custody, after a US-based advocacy group said prison guards had rehearsed protocols in the event of jailed activist Jimmy Lai’s death. Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai in 2020. Photo: HKFP. In a statement sent to HKFP on Thursday, the CSD said overseas “anti-China, Hong Kong-destabilising figures” have been “fabricating lies” about Lai’s health and custodial arrangements. Lai, 78, was sentenced in February to 20 years in jail following his conviction for conspiring to commit foreign collusion and conspiring to publish seditious content. He is the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. Lai’s children have raised concerns about their father’s health and said he is not being properly cared for in prison – accusations that authorities have denied. See also: In full: The 855-page guilty verdict against media tycoon Jimmy Lai “The CSD does not disclose information relating to prison security and order, privacy, and safety, nor details regarding specific arrangements for individual [detainees],” the department said. Stanley Prison. File Photo: Frog Wong, via Google Maps. The statement was in response to overseas advocacy group The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation’s report. Published last week, the report said prison staff have been known to rehearse protocols for Lai’s death. “Most alarmingly, a source with direct knowledge of prison operations told the CFHK Foundation that Stanley Prison guards formally rehearsed procedures in the event that Lai dies in custody,” the report stated. The report was written by Frances Hui, a policy and advocacy manager at the CFHK Foundation. The foundation’s website is

Original sourceHong Kong Free Press HKFP
BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Hong Kong gov’t says it will not appeal court ruling overturning Fanling Golf Course housing approval

The Hong Kong government has said it will not appeal a court ruling that overturned approval for building 12,000 public rental flats on part of the historic Fanling Golf Course. The Fanling Golf Course. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The government said on Thursday that it would not launch a further appeal “having holistically considered legal advice and conducted a cautious assessment,” after losing the case at the Court of First Instance in 2024 and again at the Court of Appeal last month. It will review the proposed public housing plan on a 9.5-hectare plot of land within the 32 hectares that the government took back from the 172-hectare Fanling Golf Course in 2023. “The Government will announce the way forward at an appropriate time,” a spokesperson said in a statement. The case stemmed from a legal challenge launched by the Hong Kong Golf Club, which operates the Fanling Golf Course, against the government’s approval of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report that greenlighted the public housing development. The Hong Kong Golf Club argued that there was a lack of public consultation when the authorities included additional information in the EIA report, and in 2024 the High Court ruled in favour of the private golf club. Fanling golf course. Photo: Wikicommons. The government launched an appeal against the ruling but lost again at the Court of Appeal last month, with a three-judge panel saying that there was “unfairness” in the consultation process. “[The new information]… was material that ought to have been but was not included in the EIA report for public inspection,” the Court of Appeal judgement read. “The failure to remedy this deficiency by holding a further consultation meant that there was unfairness in the consultation overall,” it added. The government sa

Original sourceHong Kong Free Press HKFP
BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Gov’t considers 12 hours’ annual family care leave for civil servants to boost fertility

Hong Kong civil servants could receive up to 12 hours of family care leave annually from next year, the city’s civil service minister has announced, as part of a raft of new measures to boost fertility by promoting family-friendly employment practices and offering financial incentives to reduce the burden of child-rearing. A caretaker walks with a little boy in Hong Kong. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung told a Legislative Council panel meeting on Wednesday that the proposed family care leave allowance is intended to allow civil servants to leave their posts briefly to deal with personal matters, such as a sudden school suspension or a gas leak at home. Responding to a lawmaker’s question on Wednesday about accompanying family members to medical appointments – one of the use cases Yeung had listed a day earlier – she suggested civil servants use their paid annual leave for this purpose instead, as it could take the better part of a day. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung. Photo: GovHK. Yeung said she expects the application process for family care leave to be simple, adding that she believes most civil servants will not abuse the arrangement. Following the announcement, some internet users commented that 10 to 12 hours were insufficient to care for relatives. Others criticised the government for only introducing benefits for civil servants and not private-sector employees. The city’s leader John Lee laid out plans to establish family care leave for all government employees in his 2026 Policy Address last week – part of a series of measures to promote fertility, including the extension of one-off baby bonuses and increased child tax allowances. Lee previously introduced childcare leave for civil servants in his 2024 Policy Addr

Original sourceHong Kong Free Press HKFP
BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

No contaminants found in ‘Scream’ drinks after school sports day tampering scare, police say

No foreign substances have been found in sports drinks that sparked a tampering scare at a secondary school’s athletics meet, police have said, after videos of liquid squirting out of the sides of the bottles were widely circulated on social media. Liquid appearing to spurt out the side of a bottle of “Scream.” Photo: Threads. Ambulances at Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground. Photo: @lisisi3.19 via Threads. Toxicology tests conducted at the Government Laboratory found no abnormal, toxic, or foreign substances injected into the drinks, Senior Superintendent Hung Ngai of the East Kowloon Regional Crime Headquarters said at a Wednesday press conference. Samples of the drinks were sent to the government facility for testing after students at Maryknoll Secondary School suspected the bottles had been punctured. A total of 16 people reported feeling unwell at the sports meet, experiencing vomiting, diarrhoea, and dizziness. However, none showed signs they had been poisoned and all were discharged yesterday after seeking medical attention. The beverage, called “Scream,” is a sports drink produced by Nongfu Spring, China’s largest packaged drinking water supplier and a leading beverage company. A video posted on Threads showed liquid shooting out of the side of a bottle when a student squeezed it. Superintendent Hung said on Wednesday that water had been trapped between the bottle and its plastic label during storage and shot out of the label’s easy-tear perforations when pressure was applied. Officers also conducted a live demonstration of water squirting out of the perforations at the press conference. In addition to the lab tests, police also looked into the event procedures and the storage, transportation, and distribution of the drinks. A video accompanying Uni-China Group’s st

Original sourceHong Kong Free Press HKFP
BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Xi says China, US should be ‘partners rather than rivals’: state media

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged cooperation with the United States, Beijing’s state media reported, hours after being greeted in Washington on Wednesday evening local time by President Donald Trump. US President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on September 23, 2026. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP. “Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals,” Xi said in written remarks published by state news agency Xinhua, adding that “the Chinese and US peoples have enjoyed long-standing friendly exchanges, and our interests are deeply intertwined”. The comments came ahead of closely watched talks between Trump and Xi, who shook hands on a red carpet after the Chinese leader’s arrival in the US capital. Thorny discussion topics are expected to include trade, technological competition — particularly in artificial intelligence — and Beijing’s diplomatic and economic support for Tehran. ‘Competition within bounds’ Xi said that he was looking “forward to in-depth exchanges with President Trump on major issues concerning our bilateral relations and the global situation,” Xinhua reported. The countries should “work towards each other to foster a stable relationship characterised by cooperation as the mainstay, competition within bounds, manageable differences and peaceful prospects,” Xi said. Magnets showing faces of US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, alongside others, are displayed at a stall in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. And in a nod to Trump’s signature political slogan, he said that “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the goal of making America great again can fully go hand in hand”. He said the two sides should “cha

Original sourceHong Kong Free Press HKFP
BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Hong Kong professor apologises for comments on marriage and women in academia, but maintains he ‘did not discriminate’

A university professor has apologised after his comments on gender and marriage at a college-wide presentation sparked controversy on social media, with students accusing him of advocating misogynistic and backward gender norms. Terence Chong at the Tuesday assembly Photo: @badabababailovinit screenshot via Threads. A slide with a line that reads: “The cost-benefit of girls fishing for a golden tortoise.” Photo: @okugvfynjhh via Threads. According to posts on Threads, Terence Chong, an associate professor of economics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and associate head of CUHK’s New Asia College, said at a biweekly college assembly that academic achievements are “useless” for women. “They would have to fish for a golden tortoise in the end,” several posts quoted Chong as saying, referring to a Chinese euphemism for a rich husband. He also allegedly urged female students not to enrol in PhD programmes as “a woman’s youth is very precious.” Chong denied making those remarks in response to media enquiries. A presentation slide from Tuesday’s assembly circulating on Threads bears a line that reads: “The cost-benefit of girls fishing for a golden tortoise.” ‘Old-fashioned social norms’ Chong delivered the talk, titled “How to invest in your life?”, on Tuesday evening. The assembly had a registration quota of 1,420 students. The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo: Lea Mok/HKFP. Chong’s speech sparked backlash among students. One Threads user posted a screenshot of their comments on a feedback form, in which they said that Chong espoused “old-fashioned social norms of gender roles.” “This looks down upon women’s integrity as human beings” and “restricts their roles to sexual relations,” the user said, adding in their post that it was their first time filling i

Original sourceHong Kong Free Press HKFP
BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Gov’t to revamp 1823 hotline, pledging 10-day response time for public enquiries

Hong Kong’s government has announced new improvements to its 1823 hotline, pledging to respond to public enquiries and complaints within 10 days and to coordinate responses across various departments. Home page of the 1823 Call Centre. Photo: GovHK. Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk said on RTHK on Tuesday that authorities were concerned about the problem of different departments passing the buck when a public complaint involved more than one part of government. “It’s just like kicking a ball,” Cheuk told the public broadcaster in Cantonese. “One person says it’s not their responsibility then another one also says that and a third says it’s someone else’s responsibility.” ‘Lead department’ Launched in 2001, the 1823 Call Centre is a 24-hour hotline operated by the Digital Policy Office to handle public enquiries and complaints. Chief Executive John Lee pledged to revamp the service in his annual Policy Address last week, saying the government will designate “a lead department” to coordinate the handling of cross‑departmental complaints. The lead department will report to the deputy chief secretary for administration, who will instruct relevant departments to collaborate on handling and responding to complaints. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing meets the press on October 26, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Cheuk said on Tuesday that the 1823 Call Centre received around 2 million oral and written enquiries and complaints in the first seven months of this year. Among these, 30 per cent of cases involve more than one department. Under the planned improvements, the lead department will coordinate with the other departments involved, providing an “initial response” within 10 days and an “actual response” within 30 days.

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BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Questioning Hong Kong’s lack of a banned book list is ‘soft resistance’ – outgoing nat. security police chief

Questioning why the government will not release a list of books banned in Hong Kong or specify where the red lines lie for seditious content is a form of “soft resistance,” the outgoing head of the police’s national security department has said. Andrew Kan appears in Causeway Bay on June 4, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. In an interview with select media outlets just before stepping down as Deputy Commissioner of Police (National Security), Andrew Kan said that raids on bookstores and arrests of bookstore staff conducted by his department earlier this year were not an abuse of power. He also said that national security legislation was clear on what constitutes illegal acts. See also: ‘Hidden dangers lurk in every corner’: Nat. security chief tells new police recruits to root out threats early In July, Hong Kong’s national security police raided two independent bookstores and arrested five people on suspicion of sedition. Officers also seized books said to carry “seditious intention.” “Saying there is no list of banned books or that the red lines are unclear – I think that is a form of soft resistance,” Kan said. The term “soft resistance” was first mentioned in 2021 in a speech by Luo Huining, then-director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong. Since then, Hong Kong officials have cited “soft resistance” as a threat to national security, although they have not provided a clear definition of the term. Hong Kong independent bookstore Have a Nice Stay, on August 30, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Security chief Chris Tang on Monday said soft resistance was the “most malicious” threat to national security in the city. ‘We actually read the books’ The July bookstore raids, which followed the arrests of other independent bookstore operators in June, came a day after one of the

Original sourceHong Kong Free Press HKFP
BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Three dogs captured after woman dies from suspected canine attack in Yuen Long

Hong Kong authorities have captured three stray dogs in Yuen Long after a woman died following a suspected dog attack while cycling on Saturday. Pok Wai South Road in Yuen Long. Photo: Google Maps. Police and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said during a press briefing in the early hours of Monday that they had conducted a sweep of Pok Wai South Road on Sunday night to search for animals potentially linked to the fatal incident. They captured three adult mongrels, who were brought to the AFCD’s centre. Authorities are investigating if the dogs have been microchipped. The operation came after a 27-year-old woman died from head and neck injuries caused by a suspected dog attack. In a press briefing on Sunday afternoon, Cheung Chun-tong, Yuen Long’s acting assistant district commander for crime, said CCTV footage filmed at around 11.40pm on Saturday showed the woman leaving Yuen Long MTR station and getting on a rental bike. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department logo. File photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP. CCTV footage 15 minutes later showed three dogs chasing her while she was riding along Pok Wai South Road, Cheung said. There were no suspicious persons or vehicles in the area. The woman’s belongings, including her wallet and phone, were intact. She was found with injuries to her head, face, neck, legs and arms, Cheung said. ‘Fighting dog’ The incident comes after fatal dog attacks last month made headlines and prompted authorities to review the city’s regulations relating to canines. In August, a dog – reportedly a Spanish mastiff – killed two smaller dogs in separate incidents in Yuen Long. A woman working at a dog shelter in Ta Kwu Ling was also killed by a dog that the AFCD later said was a “fighting dog,” a legal term that refers to

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BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

4 Chinese nationals arrested in Papua New Guinea human trafficking bust

Four Chinese nationals are suspected of forcing 39 people to work in an online scam operation from a living room in the capital of Papua New Guinea, police said Wednesday. Police bust of the alleged trafficking ring’s property in downtown Port Moresby. Photo: Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. The victims, all Indonesians, were coerced into the work at a three-bedroom property in downtown Port Moresby in which they were held, a police source told AFP. “The victims are still being interviewed,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give details about the case. “At the time of the bust many were hard to communicate with because of language barriers, thus investigators will have to sit with Indonesian officials to assist with interviews.” ‘Deeply disturbing’ Police rescued the 39 people being held against their will in a “complex people-smuggling enterprise”, Police Commissioner David Manning said Tuesday. “There will be no leniency for those who traffic and exploit people,” Manning said. “It is deeply disturbing that such alleged crimes could occur in our country.” Four Chinese nationals were arrested in the operation, and would likely face significant charges, he said. Manning said a people-smuggling network in Papua New Guinea and abroad had been dismantled in a Police Transnational Crime Directorate intelligence operation. More arrests were expected. Port Moresby viewed from Touaguba Hill. Photo: Wikicommons. “Those detained may be connected to a wider transnational human trafficking syndicate operating between Southeast Asia and the Pacific,” said Deputy Commissioner Donald Yamasombi, who led the police operation. Papua New Guinea police will work closely with international partners “to identify and dismantle any offshore compo

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BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Kelvin Kong replaces Andrew Kan as director of the police Department for Safeguarding National Security

Kelvin Kong has been sworn in as the head of the police Department for Safeguarding National Security, replacing Andrew Kan, who has retired. Chief Executive John Lee (right) pictured with the new Deputy Commissioner of Police (National Security) Kelvin Kong on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Photo: GovHK. Kong, 54, was appointed as Deputy Commissioner of Police (National Security) by Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday. According to a government press release, Lee said: “Mr Kong has been with the Hong Kong Police Force for three decades, and serving in the National Security Department since the promulgation and implementation of the National Security Law. He has demonstrated outstanding performance, an exemplary commitment to serve, and exceptional leadership with a high awareness of national security.” “I recognise his work and have confidence that he will take on more responsibilities in his new position and make greater contributions to safeguarding national security,” he added. Hong Kong Police Force. File photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP. According to a police website biography, Kong joined the Force in 1996 as an inspector. He served for three decades, mostly attached to the Security Wing. He was promoted to Senior Superintendent in October 2015 and focused on “security operations, VIP protection as well as intelligence operations and liaison relating to security issues.” In 2018, he was promoted to Chief Superintendent and assigned as District Commander of Tseung Kwan O. He returned to the Security Wing in May 2019 as a second officer-in-charge. He continued advancing through the ranks, becoming a Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police and a Director of National Security in 2023. Kelvin Kong. File photo: Hong Kong police. In January 2021, Kong was targeted by US sanctions o

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BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Elderly woman to stand trial under nat. security legislation despite psychosis diagnosis

A 61-year-old woman will go to trial over allegedly displaying seditious publications from her flat, despite being diagnosed with psychosis and delusional disorder after a Hong Kong court requested that she undergo a psychological evaluation earlier this month. West Kowloon Law Courts Building. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Yang Chau-kei, 61, pleaded not guilty at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Monday, less than a month after Chief Magistrate Victor So ordered the prosecution to obtain psychiatric reports on her mental state. The elderly woman stands accused of displaying seditious materials outside her flat in Tin Shui Wai – an offence under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, Hong Kong’s homegrown security legislation known colloquially as Article 23. Yang appeared in court unrepresented. The case will go to trial on October 14, and is projected to last three days. ‘I have committed no crime’ On Tuesday, Chief Magistrate So noted the psychiatric reports, which the prosecution said indicated that Yang was fit to enter a plea. After telling the court she understood the charge, Yang said in Cantonese: “Your Honour, I have committed no crime – they are framing me.” The magistrate then said the defendant pleaded not guilty, and the prosecution said that two civilian witnesses and two police witnesses will testify at trial. A billboard for the national security law in Hong Kong. File photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP. Yang’s bail application was refused and she remains in custody pending trial. Yang stands accused of putting up materials with a seditious intention outside her Tin Chung Court apartment – including on her apartment door, on the living room window, and in the building corridor – between March and November 2024. In doing so, she intended to stir up hatred

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BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

China curbs drug precursor exports ahead of Xi’s US visit

China unveiled export restrictions on precursor chemicals that can be used to make drugs on Tuesday, days before a high-stakes meeting between President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump. Fentanyl. Photo: US Drug Enforcement Administration. The rules, announced in a statement by Beijing’s commerce ministry, take effect immediately. They apply to two varieties of substances which will now be subject to applications in order to be exported to the United States, Mexico or Canada, the statement said. China is the primary origin of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, a highly potent opioid underpinning a devastating drug epidemic in the United States. Shipments of the substances from China have repeatedly complicated the relationship between Washington and Beijing, which has insisted it cracks down heavily on drug trade. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping tour the Hall of Prayer of Good Harvest at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on May 14, 2026. Photo: The White House, via Flickr. In May, China imposed export controls on another set of drug precursor chemicals shortly after a visit by Trump to Beijing that featured talks with Xi. Observers will be closely watching this week’s visit by Xi to Washington, where he is expected to discuss key topics with Trump spanning trade, artificial intelligence and the US war with Iran. Trump imposed additional tariffs on Chinese goods last year in retaliation for the country’s role in the fentanyl epidemic, but the levies were struck down by the US Supreme Court in February.

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World

China says opposes ‘illegal’ US sanctions on Iran airlines

China said on Tuesday it opposed “illegal” US sanctions on Iranian airlines, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened potential measures in a televised interview. An Iran Air Airbus A330-200. Photo: Wikicommons. Bessent told CNBC that “all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world” in a matter of days under the weight of American sanctions, as the Trump administration seeks to ramp up pressure on Tehran. Beijing — a top economic partner and diplomatic backer of Iran — slammed the threats on Tuesday, calling such measures “illegal”. ‘Illegal unilateral sanctions’ “China consistently opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law or authorisation from the UN Security Council,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference. The criticism comes just before US President Donald Trump’s summit starting Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Zhongnanhai in Beijing on May 15, 2026. Photo: The White House, via Flickr. The United States and Iran have been at war since late February, when US-Israeli strikes killed the Islamic republic’s supreme leader and senior military officials at the start of a broad offensive. Tehran countered by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for energy transit, causing global oil prices to surge as the conflict spread in the Middle East. ‘Economic D-Day’ The United States imposed sanctions this month on “all remaining Iranian airlines” that had yet to face such penalties. The Treasury Department also took aim at targets for supporting Iran’s aviation sector, including firms based outside Iran. US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent at the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on January 2

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World

Hong Kong man gets indefinite hospital order for fatal 2023 mall stabbings

A Hong Kong man has been sentenced to an indefinite period at a psychiatric hospital for stabbing two women to death in Diamond Hill’s Plaza Hollywood mall three years ago. Flowers laid at Plaza Hollywood following the fatal stabbings on June 2, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Szeto Sing-kwong, 43, appeared at the High Court on Tuesday. He was originally charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of 26-year-old Daniel Fong and 22-year-old Amber Lau, but the prosecution accepted Szeto’s plea to two counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to abnormality of mind. The court heard that Szeto repeatedly stabbed one of the women on the third floor of the shopping mall on June 2, 2023, before turning on her companion when she tried to intervene. There was no evidence that Szeto, who had just purchased the knife nearby, knew his victims. The High Court. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The killings provoked shock and grief citywide, with many Hongkongers laying flowers at the mall to mourn the two women. High Court Judge Esther Toh described the case as a tragedy and imposed the indefinite hospital order on the advice of psychiatric reports that diagnosed Szeto with schizophrenia and delusional disorder. In Hong Kong, manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

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World

Prestigious Hong Kong school withdraws unapproved Cantonese ban following controversy

A prestigious Hong Kong girls’ school has issued a full withdrawal of a guideline banning Cantonese from being spoken in a graduation video after the move sparked controversy over the weekend, saying it bears “full responsibility” for the incident. Good Hope School. Photo: Good Hope School. Good Hope School issued the public statement on Monday, after it faced backlash over a leaked production guideline stating that Cantonese was “forbidden” in the video production. The school’s principal, Gary Harfitt, emailed students and parents to clarify that the language was not banned. The Monday statement said: “Language is never mere communication; it carries our memories, emotions, affections and is the living soul of our heritage.” “Good Hope School wishes to state unequivocally that it has never been our ethos to constrain the mother tongue of any child entrusted to our care, and nor shall it ever be,” it continued. “We acknowledge, with profound contrition, that our previous document caused distress, misgiving, and sorrow amongst our students, parents, alumnae and the wider community. For this lapse, the school bears full responsibility,” the statement said. ‘Fully and formally withdrawn’ The guideline document has been “fully and formally withdrawn,” and consultations have begun between student leaders, the graduating class, and parent representatives, it added. “Any fresh guidance will emerge through partnership, ensuring that every pupil is free to recount her school days in voices and accents that ring clearest to her heart.” Screenshots of the guideline went viral on social media platform Threads on Friday evening. It said that “Cantonese is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN” for speaking, dialogue, and voiceovers and that “you must use English or Mandarin.” A screenshot of the video

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World

Hong Kong authorities decline to comment on report that US fighter jet parts diverted to city

Hong Kong authorities have declined to comment on a report that parts for F-35 fighter jets, a classified US aircraft targeted by Chinese intelligence, were diverted to the city. F-35B Lightning II aircraft at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Photo: F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, via Facebook. Media outlet Politico reported last week that a shipment of US-bound F-35 parts being flown from Australia this summer ended up in Hong Kong, citing anonymous sources. The alleged incident prompted a US government investigation amid concerns that China could gain access to the sensitive weapon system, the US news site reported. A spokesperson for the Hong Kong government said it “will not comment on individual incidents.” According to Politico, the parts – which included one of the jet’s canopies – were being transported by an intermediary on behalf of F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin. Sources told Politico that the canopies contain technology that only the US and its allies have. The US Congress. File photo: Wikimedia Commons. Lawmakers on the US House committee that oversees armed services are looking into the incident, House Armed Services Committee spokesperson Heather Vaughan told media outlets. “The committee is aware of this issue and we’ve received multiple briefings on it,” Vaughan said. The F-35 project is governed by the US government’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office. The office counts US allies, including the UK, Australia and Canada, among its partners purchasing the aircraft. A Beijing foreign ministry spokesperson said in 2022 that China had “no interest in the [US’s] aircraft.”

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World

China expels generals accused of graft from Communist Party: state media

China expelled two high-ranking military officers from the ruling Communist Party on Monday, state media reported, months after it was announced they were being investigated for “serious violations of the law”. Zhang Youxia in a 2023 meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Photo: Kremlin. One of them, Zhang Youxia, held the position of the more senior of two vice chairmen on the Central Military Commission (CMC), making him China’s highest-ranked general. However, the defence ministry said in January that Zhang and the second officer, Liu Zhenli, were “suspected of serious violations of discipline and the law”, a common euphemism for corruption. The announcement fit into the sweeping anti-graft drive that has defined President Xi Jinping’s time in power — but Zhang’s fall from grace in particular shocked observers, given his seniority and the perception he was close to China’s leader. State news agency Xinhua shared details of their cases for the first time, saying they involved “exceptionally large sums of money”. ‘Disloyal to the Party’ Top officials meeting in Beijing on Monday “decided to expel” the two men from the Communist Party and transfer their cases to the military’s legal organs “for review and prosecution”, Xinhua said. An investigation found Zhang and Liu had “become disloyal to the Party… and crossed red lines” by engaging in a list of offences including forming cliques and accepting huge sums of money for personal gain, Xinhua said. The two men also “used their positions to help others in matters such as job promotion”, Xinhua reported, citing the investigation. Their expulsion is subject to ratification at a plenary session of the Party’s Central Committee. Monday’s decision “reaffirms the firm position that… there is absolutely no place for corr

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Murder trial opens for ex-husband and in-laws of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi

A murder trial for the ex-husband and two former in-laws of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi has opened, three and a half years after her killing and dismemberment shocked the city. Hong Kong model and influencer Abby Choi, whose dismembered body was found by police in a Tai Po house on February 24, 2023. Photo: @xxabbyc/Instagram. Alex Kwong, Choi’s ex-husband, his father Kwong Kau, and his brother Anthony Kwong stand accused of murdering Choi and preventing the lawful burial of a body. They face up to life behind bars if convicted by a jury. The trio appeared at the High Court on Monday before deputy judge Brian Keith, with the courtroom packed with members of the public hoping to observe the high-profile trial, according to local media reports. The killing of Choi stunned the city in February 2023 when parts of her body were discovered in a village house in Lung Mei Tsuen, Tai Po, days after she went missing. Police found her remains in the fridge and soup pots in the house, which was equipped with an electric saw and a meat grinder that had been used to mince human flesh. The High Court. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Choi, an influencer with over 100,000 followers on Instagram, had appeared on the cover of fashion magazine L’Officiel Monaco and posted about her trip to Dior fashion week in Paris days before her murder. 💡If you are suffering from sexual or domestic violence, regardless of your age or gender, contact the police, Harmony House (click for details) and/or the Social Welfare Department on 28948896. Dial 999 in emergencies. Authorities had said that Choi, who was 28 years old, and her ex-husband’s family had financial disputes involving a luxury property. See also: ‘Murder victim, rape survivor, porn star’: How Hong Kong media treats women reveals a wider issue,

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NGO concerned about South China Morning Post reporter Minnie Chan, 3 years after apparent disappearance

Free expression NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has expressed concern over the apparent disappearance of South China Morning Post (SCMP) reporter Minnie Chan close to three years ago. SCMP reporter Minnie Chan. Photo: Facebook. Chan reported on defence issues, but was last heard from in October 2023 while she was covering the Xiangshan Forum, a three-day security conference, in Beijing. The French NGO said that there has been no news of the whereabouts of the award-winning reporter since: “Various RSF sources in China also believe Minnie Chan is being held by the Chinese regime under charges which they say have not been publicly disclosed but appear to be national-security-related, and that she is facing at least 10 years in prison. RSF could not verify this information or find clear evidence of her detention,” they said in a Tuesday press release. Reporters Without Borders’ Asia-Pacific Bureau Advocacy Officer Aleksandra Bielakowska⁩. Photo: RSF. Aleksandra Bielakowska, advocacy manager at RSF’s Asia-Pacific office, said that Chan’s “whereabouts must be made public, and the international community must do everything in its power to secure the release of this talented journalist, who does not belong in a Chinese prison.” When asked about Chan in 2023, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said: “I’m not aware of that [situation].” SCMP silent RSF said it approached the SCMP “requesting information about Chan’s current employment status, confirmation of her detention and the nature of any charges, as well as information about what support is being provided to the journalist in the event she is detained. At the time of publication, the SCMP had not replied.” SCMP did not respond to HKFP’s enquiries on Tuesday. It threatened legal action over HKFP’s initial

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US lawmakers hold hearing on plight of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai, as Hong Kong slams ‘hypocrisy’

Hong Kong authorities have condemned US lawmakers for holding a hearing on jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai and colluding with “anti-China and destabilising elements” to demand his release ahead of a planned summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. Jimmy Lai in 2020. Photo: HKFP. The government said in a statement on Thursday that it “firmly rejected” members of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), a US government agency that monitors human rights in China. After a hearing with Lai’s son Sebastien on Wednesday, CECC leaders introduced a bill aimed at securing the release of Lai and other “democracy advocates, journalists, former legislators, and civil society leaders” imprisoned in Hong Kong. Claire Lai was also scheduled to testify alongside her brother but pulled out due to a recent cancer diagnosis. “Jimmy Lai was sentenced to an appalling 20-year prison sentence simply for exercising his God-given rights and standing up for the people of Hong Kong,” CECC chair Senator Dan Sullivan said. “He should be released immediately.” Co-chair Representative Chris Smith called Lai’s sentence “unjust, politically motivated [and] an affront to free speech and human dignity.” ‘Nothing to do with freedom of the press’ Lai was sentenced in February to 20 years in jail, following his conviction on foreign collusion and sedition charges under the Beijing-imposed national security law. The 78-year-old was accused of using his newspaper, Apple Daily, to lobby foreign nations to impose sanctions, blockades, or other hostile activities upon China and Hong Kong. He was also accused of inciting hatred against the authorities with op-eds published in the now-shuttered tabloid. “The [Jimmy] Lai Chee-ying case has nothing to do with

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Australian Hyrox athlete who soiled herself apologises for continuing Beijing race

An Australian athlete who sparked an outcry when she kept competing despite soiling herself midway through an event in Beijing apologised Friday and forfeited her points from winning. Photo: Joanna Wietrzyk, via Instagram. Joanna Wietrzyk finished the Hyrox indoor fitness race last weekend with excrement on her legs and shoes, continuing to use the mats and equipment. It sparked backlash about potential health hazards posed to other competitors and went viral on social media. “I want to offer my sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the Hyrox organisers for what happened during the race in Beijing,” Wietrzyk said on Instagram. “I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness. “Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognise that I should have made a different choice.” Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'aM00rSAoRd5SpK7RXDEjWQ',sig:'QUjz_mZ30fSW9kUyZtqGUVuQF96YomE3y1HOm6l6_HQ=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'2294362674',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); The 23-year-old world record holder said she had retroactively withdrawn from the race and would hand back the points earned from competing. “I am learning from this experience and will carry those lessons with me, including remembering that there is more to life than racing and knowing when it is right to step away,” she added. “I will be taking some time to recover, reflect and look after myself and my family away from the noise.” Revised rules Hyrox, a popular fitness competition launched in Germany and held worldwide, features a mixture of treadmill running and strength exercises, such as lunges and ro

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Planned AI ‘City Brain’ system not meant for surveillance – top Hong Kong official

A planned HK$200 million artificial intelligence (AI) “City Brain” system designed to improve urban management and emergency response is not meant for surveillance, a top Hong Kong official has said. Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan addressed privacy concerns about the AI system at a Thursday press conference – one day after Chief Executive John Lee delivered the city’s first Five-Year Plan and the final Policy Address of his term. The city brain “isn’t meant for surveillance,” said Chan, who is heading the task force overseeing the project, to be formed in the fourth quarter of 2026. “It’s just about monitoring traffic and urban conditions, not monitoring individuals, crime, or catching thieves,” Chan said. He added: “In the past, if a water pipe burst was detected, you’d wait for it to burst or get repaired. Now, it’s different. Through the city brain, this data is handed, for instance, to the Transport Department so they can deploy immediately.” The government aims to complete the first stage of the system’s development in the first quarter of 2028. It is expected to take six to nine years before the city brain system reaches full operational capacity. Buses outside department store Sogo in Causeway Bay. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The City Brain software system was pioneered by Chinese tech giant Alibaba in Hangzhou in 2017. Since then, the urban AI has spread to cities throughout the Chinese mainland. It was also later launched in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. The platform promises to centralise real-time data from a variety of sources – CCTV cameras, tracking systems, smart sensors, government databases, social media and mobile apps – and then use this information to optimise traffi

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‘No doubt’ of climate change role in deadly China-Nepal flood: scientists

Climate change was a core factor in last month’s deadly glacial mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border that killed more than 1,400 people and left at least 6,600 missing, scientists said Thursday. A man looks at the remains in the aftermath of flash floods at Trishuli in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on September 7, 2026. Photo: Pedro Pardo/AFP. However, scientists from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group said, the disaster was not caused by a single extreme weather event, rather a “compound crisis” shaped by long-term warming, glacier retreat, permafrost thaw and geological instability. “Relentless warming has lifted the altitude of the freezing threshold on the high Himalaya, exposing ice and permafrost deep in the bedrock to higher and longer thaw temperatures, weakening mountain slopes,” a WWA report said. A massive section of rock and glacier broke away from Langtang Lirung mountain on August 26, triggering a huge flood of water, ice and debris that swept downstream, destroying communities and infrastructure. ‘Irreversible shifts’ Report co-author Walter Immerzeel, a mountain hydrologist at Utrecht University, said the region was undergoing “fundamental, irreversible shifts”, with glacier retreat and permafrost degradation undermining mountain stability. “We conclude that this was a geologically vulnerable slope, potentially weakened by the 2015 earthquake, but it was destabilised further by glacier retreat and permafrost fall,” Immerzeel told reporters. Nepal, a largely rural nation of 30 million people, contributes a fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions compared to industrialised nations. The study found that July and August 2026 were the warmest months locally recorded, while heavy snowfall in late 2025 contributed to increased meltwater before the

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Man jailed 4 weeks for grabbing passerby by the neck and attempting to kiss her

A Hong Kong man accused of grabbing the neck of a female passerby and attempting to kiss her has been sentenced to four weeks in prison for indecent assault. Eastern Law Courts Building. Photo: Almond Li/HKFP. Fung Ho-yin, 29, appeared at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday, The Witness reported. He pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault stemming from an incident in the early hours of Tuesday in Shau Kei Wan. Fung was sitting on a bench in a park on Nam On Street at around 1am that day when a woman – known to the court as X – walked past him, according to the prosecution. Fung first attempted to take a photo of X. He then stood up and followed her, and wrapped his left arm around X’s neck while using his other arm to touch her chest. He also tried to kiss her, the prosecution said. X managed to escape and screamed for help. Nam On Street Sitting-out Area in Shau Kei Wan. Photo: Wikicommons. She got the attention of a man inside a nearby gym, who ran out and helped her. X then called the police. Officers arrived at the scene and arrested Fung, who admitted under police caution that he had committed the offence out of impulse, The Witness reported. He told police he was attracted to X’s miniskirt and hoped to get close to and speak with her. But X noticed him approach and told him to go away, he said. See also: Hong Kong court acquits gov’t statistician who followed, photographed girl during school open day Handing down the sentence, Magistrate Kestrel Lam said the incident occurred in the quiet of the night, and that the consequences would have been hard to predict if nobody had come forward. He said that even though Fung had no criminal record, this was a serious case that warranted imprisonment, Ming Pao reported. Indecent assault is punishable by up t

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Hong Kong to set up public ‘condolence points’ for first post-Handover leader Tung Chee-hwa

Hong Kong’s government has announced that it will set up three sites for members of the public to pay their respects to the city’s first post-Handover leader Tung Chee-hwa, who passed away last Tuesday at the age of 89. Tung Chee-hwa. Photo: Our Hong Kong Foundation. The Home Affairs Department said on Wednesday that the “condolence points” will be opened over the weekend at Moreton Terrace Activities Centre in Causeway Bay, Kai Tak Community Hall, and Sai Lau Kok Garden in Tsuen Wan. Visitors will be able to sign condolence books at the venues between 9am and 9pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 9am to noon on Sunday. State funeral A state funeral will also be held over the weekend for Tung, who served two consecutive terms as Hong Kong’s first chief executive after the former British territory’s 1997 return to China. The Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point will host a private vigil from 3pm to 10pm on Saturday, with a public memorial and funeral service beginning the following morning at 9am in the funeral home’s Fuk Hoi Tong hall. A funeral procession will immediately follow the farewell ceremony at 11am on Sunday. Tung Chee Hwa, then chief executive, shakes hand with China’s then-vice-President Hu Jintao in 1999. Photo: GovHK. Tung’s funeral will follow state funeral protocols, making him the third Hong Kong figure to be afforded the honour. Like Tung, the previous two – industrialist Ann Tse-kai and business tycoon Henry Fok – also served as vice-chairs of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body. Horse races cancelled The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on Wednesday that it will cancel its Sha Tin race meeting scheduled for Sunday “in deference to the funeral arrangement for The Honourable Tung Chee Hwa.”

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Policy Address 2026: Hong Kong to extend baby bonuses, increase child allowance

Hong Kong will extend its newborn baby bonus scheme, increase tax allowances for families with newborns, and develop more subsidised daycare facilities in a bid to boost fertility and assist young families amid record-low births, the city’s leader has announced. A pregnant woman stands in front of a Hong Kong hospital. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Chief Executive John Lee introduced the measures during his annual Policy Address on Wednesday. The baby bonus scheme, which granted families HK$20,000 per newborn child beginning in 2023, was due to expire next month. For the next three years from September 16, HK$20,000 will continue to be awarded for firstborns, while second and subsequent children will earn families HK$30,000. As of August 31, the government had distributed payouts totalling around HK$1.56 billion to 77,709 applicants, local media reported. The child allowance will also be increased, with the tax deduction for second and subsequent children bumped up to HK$160,000 from HK$140,000. The additional allowance for the first two years after a child is born will also rise to HK$160,000. The government will also offer HK$20,000 in stamp duty relief for families who purchase a home in the year prior to childbirth or the first two years thereafter. Children play in a playground in September 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Families with newborns will be granted priority in the allocation of government-subsidised flats, and the maximum loan-to-value ratio for residential property mortgages will be raised from 90 to 95 per cent. Lee also said that public hospitals will increase their quotas for in vitro fertilisation services to 1,900 per year over the next three years, and the government will build three more subsidised daycare centres for children under three. No comprehensive

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Police arrest man after multiple people wounded in China knife attack

Police in southern China said they have arrested a man who wounded multiple people in a knife attack outside a hot pot restaurant. Guangzhou. File photo: Wikimedia Commons/jo.sau. Authorities received reports that the suspect, a 35-year-old surnamed Li, had carried out the attack in Guangzhou’s Panyu district at 5:20 pm on Monday, a police statement said later that evening. Several people sustained “non-life-threatening” injuries, the statement added. It did not give the number of victims or a suspected motive. Footage of the incident posted online suggested the attacks took place in a shopping centre and showed at least three victims with wounds to their faces. A video seemingly captured from CCTV showed a man in a face mask stabbing a woman in the face as he walked past her in front of a restaurant. Another video showed police rushing into a shopping centre and pedestrians fleeing. Police said they are investigating the case. China has seen high-profile knife attacks in recent years, including in May when three people, including two Japanese citizens, were injured in an attack at a restaurant in Shanghai. In November 2024, a former student of a vocational college in eastern China killed eight and wounded 17 in a knife attack after he failed his exams.

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Hyrox apologises for allowing race to continue after athlete soils herself

The Hyrox athletics franchise has apologised for allowing an athlete to complete an event in Beijing despite soiling herself midway through, causing an outcry on social media. Photos and videos posted online showed Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk with soiled legs and shoes, continuing to use the mats and equipment at the competition held Saturday in the Chinese capital. Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk in hospital after the race. Photo: Joanna Wietrzyk, via Instagram. She completed the event without the organising committee intervening, and went on to win the competition, according to the Hyrox website. But users pointed out on social media that other participants had to touch the contaminated mats, handles and running tracks after she had used them, and that the episode raised concerns about hygiene. Hyrox, launched in Germany in 2018 and now held worldwide, is an indoor fitness race with a mixture of treadmill running and strength exercises, such as lunges and rowing. Its popularity has exploded in China in recent years. ‘Pro-foreigner favouritism’ “Why didn’t they consider the health of the other competitors and the public?” said one user on Chinese social media network Weibo. “A foreign athlete suffered from diarrhoea, soiled the course and won anyway,” said another angry user. “It’s pro-foreigner favouritism.” “I apologise to all that were directly or indirectly affected, as well as to everyone who felt like we did not handle the situation like we should have,” said Hyrox co-founder Moritz Furste in a statement on Monday. “Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race,” he added. He accepted responsibility for failing to foresee the incident and said there were “new rules and procedures in place” to “prevent situations like this from happening ag

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Authorities to ‘pursue accountability’ over faulty lifts at Queen Mary Hospital – leader John Lee

Hong Kong authorities will “pursue accountability” over faulty construction works that resulted in tilted lift shafts in a redeveloped building at Queen Mary Hospital, leader John Lee has said. Queen Mary Hospital. Photo: GovHK. “Regarding the misaligned lifts at Queen Mary Hospital, this must be corrected swiftly,” Lee said at a press conference on Tuesday, ahead of a meeting with the Executive Council. “Healthcare services are of utmost importance and the new hospital building will be commissioned soon.” “We will pursue accountability, including from contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and professionals. If civil servants are involved, we will also hold them accountable,” he said. The chief executive said that he had received a preliminary incident report from the Development Bureau, which is overseeing works at the hospital. The bureau has also been required to submit a full report into the incident within one month, he added. Chief Executive John Lee at a press conference on January 27, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. “We must rectify the situation as quickly as possible and commission the new hospital building,” he said. Structural errors Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn confirmed last week that the external walls of the building’s elevator shafts had structural “errors,” following earlier media reports that revealed the defects. She said the errors may have left insufficient room for elevators to operate smoothly inside the building, adding that some lift components were installed “improperly.” Linn also said that the government will review whether the Architectural Services Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department – the two governmental departments with direct oversight in the incident – could improve their inspection and acceptan

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Policy Address 2026: Greenpeace criticises lack of wetland protection in Northern Metropolis development plan

Greenpeace Hong Kong has criticised plans for the Northern Metropolis development project, saying that the blueprint lacks protections for sensitive wetlands near the city’s border with mainland China. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (centre) attends a press conference after delivering the city’s first five-year plan and his annual Policy Address on September 16, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Details for the sprawling tech hub were unveiled in the Five-Year Plan (FYP) and annual Policy Address delivered by Chief Executive John Lee on Wednesday. The green group said that the ecological protection goals set out in the FYP lagged far behind China’s national standards for preserving important wetlands. Lee laid out Hong Kong’s first FYP at the legislature on Wednesday, in a move seen as aligning the freewheeling city more closely with China’s national development trajectory. On environmental protection, Lee said the city would “maintain” 40 per cent of its land and 20 per cent of its marine area as protected zones by 2030. Hong Kong’s border areas near Shenzhen is set to be transformed into a 30,000-hectare Northern Metropolis. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Proposed in 2021, the Northern Metropolis is a sprawling infrastructure project set to transform 30,000 hectares land near the city’s rural border with mainland China. The tech hub promises to provide jobs, more homes, and deeper integration with neighbouring Shenzhen. However, critics have voiced concern over the HK$224 billion project’s scale and ambition, its impact on sensitive wetland habitats, and the loss of existing homes and farmland. Greenpeace said the targets put forward in the plan omitted wetland protection and paled in comparison to neighbouring Shenzhen, which committed to a 50 per cent wetland protection r

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Macau begins first closed-door national security trial for former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San

Macau was to start its first national security trial behind closed doors on Wednesday, in a case against a former pro-democracy lawmaker charged with subversion. Former Macau lawmaker Au Kam San. File photo: Au Kam San, via Facebook. The Chinese casino hub expanded the scope of national security laws in May 2023, and a new bill passed this year allows judges to hear national security cases behind closed doors. Au Kam San, a former Macau lawmaker who was detained in July 2025, was the first person to be arrested under the island’s new laws and is the first to face a closed trial. The 69-year-old has been charged with “subversion of state power”, as well as building ties with foreign groups and media outlets that endanger China. Since Au’s arrest, details about the case have remained scarce. Michael Polak, a London-based barrister representing Au, said holding the hearings in private would “be a sham process”. Prosecutors’ allegations appear to arise from Au’s “peaceful political activity, belief in democracy, and his regular meetings with the Office of the European Union to Hong Kong and Macau”, Polak’s group said earlier this year. European Union flags in front of the European Commission’s headquarters in Brussels. Photo: European Commission. Au was also one of the organisers of annual vigils in Macau — a former Portuguese territory which reverted to China in 1999 — to remember the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Macau and Hong Kong were once the only places in China where such public commemorations could take place. An AFP reporter outside the court Wednesday had their details registered by police, and officials did not confirm whether the case had started. AFP saw several vans arriving at the court, but it was not clear who was inside. Au Kam-san (far

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Policy Address 2026: Hong Kong to appoint AI commissioner and consider deepfake laws – leader John Lee

The Hong Kong government will appoint an artificial intelligence (AI) chief and study the implementation of laws tackling the use of deepfake technology, leader John Lee has announced in his annual Policy Address. The Hong Kong Productivity Council’s AI exhibition in Kowloon Tong on May 21, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Chief Executive John Lee said in his address on Wednesday that authorities will create a new post, Commissioner for AI, under the government’s Digital Policy Office. The commissioner, a high-level civil service post, will assist bureaus with combating the use of AI in criminal activities. Lee said the Law Reform Commission, the body that appraises the city’s laws, was reviewing legislation relating to cybercrimes. He said that the subcommittee looking into the laws will seek the public’s views on ways to tackle deepfake scams, adding that the government will consider drawing up further legislation. Lee’s announcement comes as the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data warns of the increased use of deepfakes in scams globally, including in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Lee also said the government will enhance its promotion of AI applications across various trades including tourism, finance, and broadcasting. The Hong Kong Tourism Board will introduce AI-generated travel recommendations on its website, and government broadcaster RTHK will use AI to enhance its production quality and reach a wider audience, he said. Through the “AI for All” initiative, first introduced by authorities during the budget address in February, the government will host over 200 training activities to promote responsible AI use.

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Policy Address 2026: Hong Kong to standardise cigarette pack designs in bid to discourage smoking

Hong Kong will standardise designs on all cigarette packs starting from the end of next year in a bid to discourage residents from smoking, the city’s leader John Lee has announced. A man smoking on the waterfront promenade at Tsim Sha Tsui on September 5, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Lee made the announcement during his annual Policy Address on Wednesday, after the government gazetted subsidiary legislation last week that will strip cigarette packs of their designs and replace them with plain packaging. In a press release last Friday, the government said the measure was recommended by the World Health Organization. “Plain packaging will remove brand logos, various colours and the decorative elements including slogans and signs on the packaging, fundamentally undermining the brand effect,” the press release stated. It added that plain packaging would direct consumers’ attention to the health warnings printed on the cigarette packs. The government will begin rolling out the standardised packaging from March next year, with a nine-month transition period before the measure is fully enforced on December 1, 2027. The buffer window is meant to allow retailers time to clear existing stock, authorities said. Chief Executive John Lee delivered his fifth Policy Address and Hong Kong’s first five-year plan on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at the Legislative Council. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Hong Kong has implemented a raft of policies in recent years to deter smoking, including raising taxes on cigarettes and cracking down on alternative smoking products. The smoking rate has declined from 23.3 per cent of residents aged 15 or above in the early 1980s to 8.5 per cent last year, according to the Department of Health.

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Policy Address 2026: Hong Kong to relax licensing rules for island guesthouses, develop ‘ticket stub economy’

Hong Kong will relax its licensing system for small guesthouses on the territory’s outlying islands, leader John Lee has announced in his annual Policy Address speech. Cheung Chau. File photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP. The chief executive said on Wednesday that authorities will waive deed-of-mutual-covenant restrictions prohibiting certain premises from being used as guesthouses or hotels when approving licence applications for island properties of three storeys or under. The policy is part of a raft of government measures to boost the city’s tourism unveiled in Lee’s Policy Address speech. Industry representatives had expected the policy to increase the number of guesthouses on outlying islands by 50 per cent following policy leaks earlier this week, according to local media reports. Lee also said on Wednesday that Hong Kong will develop a “ticket stub economy,” offering various discounts to visitors attending major events held in the city to encourage them to extend their stay and increase spending. The Hong Kong Tourism Board will connect event organisers with retail, catering, and other tourism-related groups, “fostering a consumption chain that extends from the event venue to the community,” he said in Cantonese. Existing tourism initiatives such as developing the “yacht economy” to attract high-net-worth boat owners and promoting Hong Kong as a “Muslim-friendly” travel destination will continue, Lee said, adding that the first phase of renewal works for the nightlife hotspot Lan Kwai Fong will be gradually completed from next month. The Immigration Department will launch a pilot scheme at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port in December, which will use artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to expedite clearance for drivers and passengers of

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Policy Address 2026: Hong Kong to expand gov’t-funded national security exhibition

Hong Kong will expand its publicly funded National Security Exhibition Gallery to promote the concept of “security brings prosperity,” leader John Lee has said in his annual Policy Address speech. People watch a video installation in the Hong Kong Museum of History, on October 1, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The National Security Exhibition Gallery at the Hong Kong Museum of History has drawn over 1.9 million visitors since its launch in mid-2024, Lee said on Wednesday as he delivered his fifth Policy Address speech at the Legislative Council. See also: Hong Kong’s new national security gallery tells different story about unrest than Western media, foreign visitors say “The government will expand the gallery and enrich its content to promote the concept that ‘security brings prosperity,’” he said in Cantonese, without elaborating further. The exhibition, which occupies over 1,100 square metres on the museum’s second floor, currently comprises six areas covering China’s national development and Hong Kong’s 2019 protests and unrest. See also: In Pictures: Museum of History opens revamped ‘Hong Kong Story’ exhibition with new focus on China ‘roots’ Lee said on Wednesday that Hong Kong must establish a “bottom-line mindset” when it comes to safeguarding national security against “hidden threats.” The chief executive adopted Chinese President Xi Jinping’s idea of taking a “holistic approach” to national security and development, saying the two must work in tandem. “High-quality development must be safeguarded by high-level security; in turn, high-level security must be underpinned by high-quality development,” Lee said. Before his Policy Address speech on Wednesday, Lee delivered the city’s first Five-Year Plan speech, during which he pledged to enhance security governance. T

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LIVE: Hong Kong Policy Address 2026 and city’s first Five-Year Plan

Chief Executive John Lee is delivered his fifth Policy Address and Hong Kong’s first Five-Year Plan at the Legislative Council on Wednesday. Hong Kong can expect Lee to announce policies ranging from childbirth incentives to the Northern Metropolis development. He said that people could expect “binding and anticipatory” indicators from the Five-Year Plan. Chief Executive John Lee delivered his fifth Policy Address and Hong Kong’s first five-year plan on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at the Legislative Council. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. On Tuesday, Lee said that the half-decade policy document does not seek to shift the city towards a “planned economy.” Full coverage:

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Education University PhD student gets 160 hours of community service over doctored reference

A mainland Chinese woman has been handed a 160-hour community service order after pleading guilty to forging a reference letter for her application to a doctoral programme at a Hong Kong university. The Education University of Hong Kong. Photo: Education University of Hong Kong. Li Zuer, who faced a charge of obtaining services by deception, appeared at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts on Monday. The court heard earlier that she had commissioned an agent to rewrite a reference letter for a doctoral programme at the Education University of Hong Kong, after previously failing to gain admission, local media reported. According to the prosecution, she submitted a doctored letter – dated March 2024 – based on a reference that was written for her by Ho Wai-yip, a former associate professor at the Education University who taught her when she was studying for a master’s degree there. The letter stated that Li’s English proficiency could be improved. The edited version was rewritten to state that Li’s academic performance was exceptional. Fanling Magistrates’ Courts. Photo: Peter Lee/HKFP. Li was admitted to the university, studying international and comparative education. She has since lost her place at the school. Handing down the sentence, magistrate Kenneth Chan said the case was serious as Li could have robbed another applicant of their chance for enrolment, The Witness reported. But he said he took into account the defence’s evidence that Li had strong academic results and was devoted to teaching, and committed the offence because she was influenced by her agent. Li’s mother submitted a mitigation letter to the court stating that her daughter had always been an honest person and felt remorseful about her offence. Chan said that while imprisonment was a viable punishment for

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Hong Kong parents urged to vaccinate young children amid rising summer flu cases

Hong Kong parents have been urged to vaccinate their young children as cases of influenza among children have risen across the city. Children play in a playground in September 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Mike Kwan, honorary clinical associate professor of the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said on Commercial Radio on Monday that flu-related hospitalisations of children have risen recently, with some patients experiencing fevers in excess of 40 degrees Celsius that persist for several days. Kwan said the city is currently in the summer flu season, which is yet to reach its peak. The summer flu season in Hong Kong usually begins in June, with the winter flu season starting in January. He urged parents to vaccinate their young children against influenza, which he said provides the strongest protection against serious illness. The Government Vaccination Programme for 2026/27 will commence this Thursday, offering free vaccines for high-risk groups such as children aged six months or older, pregnant women, and the elderly. Director of Health Ronald Lam told RTHK on Saturday that the vaccination rate among children aged six months to two years is 27 per cent—much lower than the rate among older children. Director for Health Ronald Lam (first from left) talks to children who are about to receive flu vaccines in a school in October 2025. Photo: GovHK. According to government figures, more than half of children aged six months to six years old were vaccinated against flu in the 2025/26 season. Over three-quarters of children aged six to 12 got flu jabs. Severe paediatric flu cases Lam said Hong Kong has seen “wave-like rise” in flu cases since June. The proportion of people seeking medical attention or requiring hospitalisation d

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China’s spy chief warns foreign ‘hostile forces’ may use AI to ‘fabricate political rumours’

The head of China’s spy agency has warned that artificial intelligence endangers the country’s national security, with foreign powers potentially using the technology to threaten social order. The Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: Lukas Messmer/HKFP. “Hostile forces” were abusing generative AI technologies to “fabricate political rumours and spread harmful information”, Minister of State Security Chen Yixin wrote in an article published online on Sunday. “They launch public opinion wars and cognitive warfare against China, directly threatening our political security, institutional security and ideological security,” he said. The warning comes as Chinese leader Xi Jinping is due to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this month, with AI governance and safety set to be part of their discussions as calls mount for greater oversight of the technology. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping before a bilateral meeting at the Gimhae International Airport terminal, in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, 2025. Photo: The White House, via Flickr. US tech leaders have also called for slowing AI advances. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned on Saturday of the “reckless” speed of AI technology development, as worries mount over the risks of superintelligent computer systems. OpenAI boss Sam Altman said he agreed with Amodei’s assessment. But Chen warned that AI was now “the main battleground for global technological competition and a new track for major power strategic rivalry”. He did not mention existential risks or putting the brakes on technological advances, but singled out Anthropic’s Claude Mythos and OpenAI’s ChatGPT-5.5-Cyber for their advanced hacking capabilities that potentially “pose serious risks to China’s critical information infra

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Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan will adhere to ‘capitalist system’ and One Country, Two Systems principle – leader John Lee

Hong Kong leader John Lee has said that the city’s first five-year blueprint aligning with mainland China’s development goals will adhere to the city’s “capitalist system” and uphold the One Country, Two Systems governing principle. Chief Executive John Lee at a press conference on January 27, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Chief Executive Lee made the remarks in a Monday op-ed addressing concerns about whether his Five-Year Plan, set to be announced on Wednesday alongside the final Policy Address of his current term, would change Hong Kong’s existing system. The article was published in local newspapers including Ming Pao and the Hong Kong Economic Journal, as well as state-affiliated newspapers Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po. The One Country, Two Systems framework, set for a 50-year period leading up to 2047, is intended to allow Hong Kong to maintain its capitalist system, independent judiciary, legal framework, and civil liberties. ‘Rule of law and capitalist system’ Lee wrote in the Monday article that he had been asked whether formulating a Five-Year Plan in lockstep with the mainland would alter Hong Kong’s existing constitutional system. “I emphasise: the Five-Year Plan will adhere strictly to Hong Kong’s rule of law and capitalist system, faithfully implement the Basic Law, and uphold the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ without change or deviation,” Lee said. See also: Developers free to make own decisions, John Lee says after Beijing official urges tycoons to take part in gov’t projects It will also maintain the city’s position as an international hub and preserve the free flow of capital, talent, goods, and data, “fully unleashing the flexibility and advantages of a capitalist market,” he said. A consultation paper for Hong Kong’s first five-year plan. Photo

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Macau to hold closed-door trial in first national security case against democrat

Macau will hold its first national security trial behind closed doors next week, a court said on Friday, in a case against a former pro-democracy lawmaker charged with “subversion”. Former Macau lawmaker Au Kam San. File photo: Au Kam San, via Facebook. The Chinese casino hub expanded the scope of national security laws in May 2023, and a new bill passed earlier this year allows judges to hear national security cases behind closed doors. Lawyers and rights groups have warned that the rule could undermine the functioning of government departments and apply to “any judicial case”. Former Macau lawmaker Au Kam San in July 2025 became the first person to be arrested under the expanded law, with authorities alleging he had ties to foreign groups endangering China. The judge decided to “hold the trial behind closed doors in order to ensure that national security interests are not compromised”, a statement released by Macau’s final appeals court said. After Au’s arrest, details about the case remained scarce until this July, when judicial authorities in Macau confirmed that he would stand trial as a “principal offender” of subversion and other crimes. The court said the trial decision had been confirmed by Macau’s national security committee, following a request from the city’s public prosecutions office. The proceedings are set to begin September 16. Au, 69, is a primary school teacher who became one of Macau’s longest-serving pro-democracy legislators before deciding not to seek re-election in 2021. Authorities said that a court-appointed lawyer previously accepted by Au will continue to represent him. Macau flag. Photo: gavindeas, via Flickr. Michael Polak, a London-based barrister representing Au, said earlier this year that authorities having “appointed a state lawyer doe

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Animal NGO urges Hongkongers to shun gov’t-backed equestrian show Cavalluna

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia (PETA) has urged Hongkongers to shun a live equestrian theatrical show at the Kai Tak Arena, citing animal cruelty allegations. Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld. Photo: Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld. Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld debuted on Tuesday and runs until Sunday, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club as the main host and event partner. The immersive show from Europe involves 54 horses, stunts, dancing and large sets. In a statement on Thursday, a PETA Asia spokesperson said: “Horses are sensitive, intelligent animals who feel fear and pain—not entertainment props to be trotted out under blinding lights and fireworks for a paying crowd.” Underprivileged, youth and elderly groups attend the Cavalluna dress rehearsal with assistance from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club. “A PETA Germany investigation into Cavalluna documented horses being forced into the painful, welfare-violating ‘rollkur’ head-and-neck position and driven with whip-cracks into frightening tricks involving fire and light effects,” they added. The NGO called on the public to reject “spectacles that exploit animals and to choose only animal-free entertainment.” PETA Germany footage appearing to show a Cavalluna horse adopting the “rollkur” head-and-neck position. Photo: PETA Germany. PETA Germany released video clips last year appearing to show Cavalluna horses repeatedly enduring painful overstretching of the neck, restrictions in sight and breathing, and involvement in tricks involving fire and light. The whistle-blower footage was submitted to the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office as part of a criminal complaint alleging animal welfare violations. Horses ‘part of the family’ Cavalluna previously responded to PETA Germany

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Hong Kong and Indonesia to host inaugural 14-team FIFA ASEAN Cup this month

An inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup will take place later this month featuring 14 teams with matches played in Indonesia and Hong Kong, organisers said on Thursday. FIFA ASEAN Cup. Photo: FIFA ASEAN Cup. The 11 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and three guest sides — Hong Kong, Pakistan and Bangladesh — will play in two divisions from September 24. Eight teams will contest the top-tier Division 1 — hosts Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Pakistan. They will be split into two sections of four with the winners contesting the first FIFA ASEAN Cup final on October 5. FIFA chief Gianni Infantino. Photo: Kremlin. The second-tier Division 2 will be hosted by Hong Kong and also involve Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Timor-Leste, split into two three-team sections with the winners advancing to a final on October 3. “The FIFA ASEAN Cup was launched to provide national teams with meaningful competitive opportunities,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino. “The tournament will strengthen football ties across Southeast Asia.”

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Death toll from cargo ship fire in China rises to 25 – state media

The death toll from a fire that erupted on Thursday on a foreign-flagged cargo ship docked in a Chinese port has risen to 25, including five people who had been listed as missing, state media said. A screengrab from a video taken on September 10, 2026, provided by Qingdao WoLin Packaging, showing smoke rising from a cargo ship at Qingdao’s port. Photo: Qingdao WoLin Packaging. The bulk carrier, moored in the eastern shipping hub of Qingdao, had 42 people on board when the fire broke out, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Seventeen of those were evacuated, including five who were injured. However, by Thursday evening “all 25 missing persons had been found, none showing signs of life”, state broadcaster CCTV reported. It said “the open flames were extinguished” by about 2:30 pm (0630 GMT). State news agency Xinhua said earlier that the fire broke out at around 11:15 am during the ship’s port call for maintenance, without specifying the cause of the fire. A witness from a neighbouring residential compound told AFP he saw thick smoke coming from the ship, but did not hear an explosion. “I saw the smoke from the ship by chance, but there was no visible fire,” he said. “I didn’t hear an explosion or smell anything.” The Xinhua state news agency shared video of the scene showing a large ship called the Ocean Melody docked at a yard, with dozens of rescuers swarming its decks and entering the vessel. Several fire trucks and ambulances were stationed on the dock in front of the ship. Ocean Melody is a 190-metre (623-foot) long bulk carrier sailing under the Liberian flag, according to the vessel-tracking website MarineTraffic, which located the ship as moored in Qingdao. ‘Profound lesson’ Qingdao is the hometown and namesake of Tsingtao beer and a major international maritime

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2 men arrested at airport hours after allegedly breaking into MTR depot to graffiti trains

Two men who allegedly broke into an MTR depot and spray-painted graffiti on a parked train have been arrested at the airport while waiting to board flights out of Hong Kong. Photos released by police showed a section of the barbed wire around Chai Wan MTR depot cut (left) and the graffiti spray-painted on a parked train (right). Photo: Hong Kong Police Force. Officers received a report from staff at the Chai Wan MTR depot at around 2pm on Wednesday that a train had been sprayed with two murals measuring one metre by five metres each, police said during a press briefing on Thursday. Staff also spotted two suspicious men fleeing the scene, they said. Police arrived at the scene and discovered that a section of barbed wire around the depot had been damaged. They also found tools believed to have been left behind by the suspects, including nine spray paint cans, a wooden ladder, and two high-visibility vests. Investigations suggested that the men had entered the depot through the section where the barbed wire had been cut. “MTR train depots are very critical infrastructure,” chief inspector Chan Chi-leung said in Cantonese. The MTR Corporation logo. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. “The case involves destroying fencing around the depot, trespassing into the railway network, and spray-painting graffiti. Police are very concerned about this case,” he added. After reviewing CCTV footage, the two men were arrested for alleged criminal damage in the departure hall of Hong Kong International Airport at 8pm on Wednesday. The two men, both in their 30s, were bound for the US and Australia. Clothing they wore while committing the alleged offence was found in their luggage. Inspector Tse Hiu-wing said at the same press briefing that criminal damage is an extremely serious crime punishable

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Suicide rate among children under 15 tripled last year, as researchers urge schools and media to do better

A university research centre has urged schools to strengthen mental health awareness among students after statistics revealed a rise in the suicide rate for children under 15 last year. A man sits on a bench in Hong Kong. File photo: GovHK. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong announced the city’s latest suicide statistics on Thursday. While the overall suicide rate fell from 13.8 per 100,000 residents in 2024 to 13 per 100,000 residents in 2025, the suicide rate among young teens increased in the same period. 💡If you are in need of support, please call: The Samaritans 2896 0000 (24-hour, multilingual), Suicide Prevention Centre 2382 0000 or the gov’t mental health hotline on 18111. The Hong Kong Society of Counselling and Psychology provides a WhatsApp hotline in English and Chinese: 6218 1084. See also: HKFP’s mental health services guide. The suicide rate for those under 15 was 2.9 per 100,000 residents last year, up from 0.9 per 100,000 residents in 2024. The research centre said there were 15 known suicide cases among this age group last year. Among them were 14 males and one female. In 2024, there were six cases – one male and five females. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, researchers at the centre said schools should enhance mental health awareness and foster better peer relationships. Hong Kong’s cityscape. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The release of the statistics comes one week after the start of the new school year. Paul Yip, the centre’s founding director, said he hoped that teachers could support new students in their transition from primary to secondary school. “You have a whole year to teach. In these first two weeks, it’s important to give them time to build relationships,” he said in Canto

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Washington accuses Chinese AI firms of ‘systematic’ theft

Washington accused top Chinese artificial intelligence labs including DeepSeek and Moonshot AI of systematically stealing the capabilities of American models on Tuesday as the two countries race for tech supremacy. Chinese startup DeepSeek’s AI assistant. File photo: Kelly Ho/HKFP. The advisory from the US cyber defense agency comes ahead of an expected meeting this month between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the White House, where AI could be an important discussion topic. It follows several previous accusations of Chinese AI theft through a process known as distillation, levelled by the US government and American AI companies. “China-based artificial intelligence (AI) companies are conducting systematic extraction of proprietary functionalities and capabilities of US AI companies’ models,” Tuesday’s advisory read. They are doing so “through industrial-scale knowledge distillation campaigns that form the core — not merely a supplement — of their AI development strategy”, it said. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Photo: Levart_Photographer/Unsplash. Distillation is where an AI model is trained to mimic the output of a larger, more capable one. The method is widely used across the industry, but Washington says Chinese firms have deployed it at scale to illicitly copy American systems. Chinese companies that adopt this strategy “see significantly shorter AI development timelines and reduced financial expenditures in training a frontier model”, the advisory said. It detailed how DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, Alibaba, MiniMax, StepFun, and Z.AI allegedly used millions of exchanges and requests to steal the capabilities of US models from the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and xAI. These actions, taken “likely with Chinese government awareness”,

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Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil activists to be sentenced on Friday, facing max. penalty of 10 years’ jail

Three Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil activists convicted under the national security law will be sentenced this Friday, with each of them facing maximum penalties of 10 years behind bars. Former Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China Albert Ho (left), Lee Cheuk-yan (centre) and Chow Hang-tung (right) at Victoria Park in Hong Kong on June 4, 2020, after the annual Tiananmen vigil was banned on public health grounds because of Covid-19. Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP. Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho will appear at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building, according to the Judiciary’s court schedule. The trio are former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which used to organise annual Tiananmen vigils in Causeway Bay’s Victoria Park until they were banned in 2020 and 2021. Chow and Lee, a former lawmaker, pleaded not guilty to inciting subversion, and sat through a trial earlier this year. They were found guilty last month, with the judges saying they had “all along been hostile towards the [Chinese Communist Party] and the Central Government under its leadership.” Hong Kong police set up a cordon outside the West Kowloon Law Courts Building on August 21, 2026, ahead of the verdict hearing of the trial of two Tiananmen vigil activists Chow Hang-tang and Lee Cheuk-yan on national security charges. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Both of them have been remanded in custody since September 2021. Ho, also a former lawmaker, pleaded guilty when the trial began in January. Unlike Chow and Lee, he was initially granted bail after being charged, but was remanded in March 2023 after a magistrate ruled he had violated bail conditions. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of Chin

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Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first post-Handover leader, dies at 89

Former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa has died at the age of 89. Tung Chee-hwa. Photo: Our Hong Kong Foundation. The city’s first leader following its 1997 Handover from Britain passed away peacefully on Tuesday, according to his office. Tung resigned in 2005 citing health reasons, and was succeeded by his chief secretary Donald Tsang. Born in Shanghai in July 1937, Tung was the son of ‌shipping magnates Tung ⁠Chao-yung and Koo Lee-ching. The family ran Orient Overseas (International) Limited, a shipping and logistics enterprise and moved to Hong Kong when Tung was a child. Following his studies at the University of Liverpool in the UK, he became involved in politics when Hong Kong’s last British governor Chris Patten appointed him as a non-official member of the Executive Council. Tung defeated two opponents in the first small-circle leadership election in December 1996 to became the Special Administrative Region’s first chief executive. Financial crisis and SARS pandemic His administration was marred by controversies and crises. Soon after he assumed power, Hong Kong was hit by the Asian financial crisis, which began in July 1997. Photo: HKFP/Ellie Ng. While it was able to fend off speculators, the city’s economy suffered again in 2003, when SARS broke out and claimed the lives of 299 people. Article 23 mass demo Some of Tung’s policies drew fierce criticism. He faced a political crisis in 2003 when the government sought to legislate the city’s own security law in accordance with Article 23 of the Basic Law. The plan was met with fierce opposition across society. On July 1, 2003, an estimated 500,000 people marched on the streets. Local residents hold anti-Tung poster during an anti-Article 23 protest in Hong Kong, 01 July 2003. Ten of thousands of people too

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2 men with autism jailed for 3 years over joining a Taiwan group that advocated independence for Hong Kong

Two young men have been jailed for 36 months and 38 months over their participation in a Taiwan-based group which called for Hong Kong independence and US sanctions. Wan Chai Law Courts Building. Photo: Candice Chau/HKFP. Chan Tai-sum, 27, and Ng Chi-tung, 25, received their sentences at the District Court on Thursday morning. Chan was jailed for 38 months while Ng was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment, local media reported. The pair pleaded guilty in early July to conspiracy to commit secession. According to a mitigation statement submitted by the defence, both Chan and Ng suffer from autism: Chan had been seeking treatment since the age of 12, while Ng was diagnosed when he was in primary school. Chan and Ng admitted to being “active members” of the Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union between November 2024 and July 2025. The Taiwan-based group was founded by a self-exiled Hongkonger and advocates for Hong Kong’s independence from China. In December last year, Hong Kong authorities announced that the operations of the organisation in Hong Kong would be banned, along with the Hong Kong Parliament group. Judge Ernest Lin said on Thursday that Chan claimed to have joined the Taiwan-based group and committed the offence in order to seek foreign political asylum. This meant he tried to attract foreign forces to act at the expense of the country and Hong Kong, in a ploy that amounted to “selling out one’s country for personal glory.” The judge added that their actions had a negative impact on Hong Kong’s stability and the national administration. A screenshot of the Facebook page of Taiwan-based group Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union on July 10, 2025. Photo: Screenshot, via Facebook. He also noted that Chan had previously been imprisoned for sedition and was a

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Buildings Dep’t launches 259 prosecutions over works at fire-hit Wang Fuk Court, 9 months after fatal blaze

Hong Kong’s Buildings Department (BD) has launched more than 200 prosecutions against four individuals and two companies that oversaw renovation works at the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court. Wang Fuk Court. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The 259 charges, covering the use of defective or substandard materials and failure to adequately supervise renovation works, were initiated on Wednesday – more than nine months after the fire broke out. The prosecutions were launched after a joint investigation by the BD and the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU), the Wednesday statement said. The blaze at Wang Fuk Court, a government-subsidised housing estate in Tai Po, killed 168 people and displaced thousands of residents in November last year. Nine months on “The investigation revealed that the Registered Inspector (RI) employed by the project consultant failed to properly supervise the prescribed repair works and failed to ensure that the building was safe or had been rendered safe,” the department said on Wednesday “Meanwhile, during the course of the works, the main contractor and the project consultant allegedly permitted or authorised the use of non-fire-retardant scaffold netting and tarpaulins, as well as non-fire-retardant styrofoam boards to cover windows,” it continued. A tender analysis report signed off by Will Power director Wilson Ng in August 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Fireproof windows along the emergency fire escape stairwell were also removed to create temporary access openings, causing smoke and fire to pour into the buildings and “ultimately resulting in 168 fatalities and 79 injuries,” the statement read. The two prosecuted companies are Will Power Architects, consultants for the estate’s HK$330 million renovation project, and the main contractor, Prestige Constr

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Ex-lawmaker William Wong charged with drink driving, released on HK$5,000 bail

Ex-lawmaker William Wong has been charged with drink driving and failing to stop after a traffic accident, two months after the incident prompted his resignation from the Legislative Council. Ex-lawmaker William Wong. Photo: William Wong, via Facebook. The 66-year-old ex-lawmaker appeared at the Shatin Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning for the first mention of the case. Wong was charged with driving with alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit; dangerous driving; failing to stop after an accident; and failing to report an accident involving damage. The charges all relate to an incident at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) on June 29. Wong, who was also an associate dean at the university’s engineering faculty, allegedly hit two parked cars outside a residential hall at CUHK on that night, police said. Wong left the scene after the accident but later returned for an investigation, during which he failed a breathalyser test. Days after, he stepped down as a lawmaker and apologised for bringing “trouble” to society. CUHK also suspended Wong from his position as the engineering faculty’s external affairs associate dean, although the university website still lists him as a professor. A sign inside Hong Kong’s Legislative Council showing the names of lawmakers, including William Wong, who resigned on July 3, 2026 following a drink driving arrest. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. According to the prosecution, Wong had a breath-alcohol level of 45 micrograms per 100 millilitres – more than double the legal limit of 22 micrograms. Wong was released on bail of HK5,000, local media reported, and will return to court on November 11. Under his bail conditions, he is prohibited from driving, must report to a police station fortnightly, and is barred from contacting prose

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Hong Kong man arrested for allegedly splashing woman with unknown liquid on MTR

A 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of indecent assault after a woman reported being splashed with a liquid on the MTR. People get on the East Rail Line of MTR, on September 6, 2025. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The police made the arrest on Tuesday evening after reviewing surveillance footage of the incident on the East Rail line of the MTR between Tai Po Market and Tai Wo stations, Acting Chief Inspector Ng Chin-wang of the Tai Po district crime division said on Tuesday. ‘Deviant behaviour’ Ng said that a 20-year-old female student reported the incident to station staff at Tai Wo and called the police after suspecting that she had been touched by a passenger and finding an unknown clear white liquid on her clothing at around 7pm on Monday evening. A 59-year-old local man, surnamed Luk, was arrested in Tai Po on Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of indecent assault. The Tai Po crime unit is handling the investigation. A preliminary investigation suggests that the suspect acted on his own in the train carriage and identified his target before committing the act. He also did not know the student personally. People walk in the Hong Kong’s bustling Mong Kok district in March 2023. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Ng also urged people to step forward and report such incidents to the police. “We urge victims of sexual crimes and witnesses to come forward and allow the police to take further action, so that we can join hands to fight against deviant behaviour in our society,” he said in Cantonese. ‘No real consequences’ Media coverage in recent years has shone a light on cases when individuals were prosecuted for splashing liquids on women in public spaces. The act is seen as a type of sexual violence. Earlier this year, a 34-year-old man was charged with loitering after al

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Give us a Hong Kong-style Handover of Falklands from UK, says Argentinian leader

Argentine President Javier Milei has called for a Hong Kong-style Handover of the disputed Falklands from the UK. Javier Milei’s TV address on Thursday, September 3, 2026. Photo: Screenshot. In an interview with The Economist published after a TV speech he gave last Thursday, Milei said: “The UK did this with Hong Kong, so why not find the agreement so that sooner or later the islands return to Argentina? They’re ours.” The president added that he was seeking a “consensus solution” to bring the archipelago under Argentine control, and that his citizens “do not believe in war.” In his TV address, the president spoke of “winds of change,” dismissing the UK as a country “in decline,” and unveiling plans for a new military base in Tierra del Fuego. The comments came as US President Donald Trump cast doubt on US support for Britain’s control of the territory. Vote to remain British The self-governing islands in the South Atlantic are known as the Malvinas in Argentina, though they have been under British administration since 1841. A ten-week war in 1982 over the possession of the Falklands saw a British naval task force repel Argentinian forces. Over 900 military personnel, including three residents, were killed in the conflict. In 2013, 99.8 per cent of Falklanders voted to remain a British Overseas Territory during a sovereignty referendum. A similar vote in 1986 saw 96.45 per cent of voters support British control. Last week, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said that the UK’s military support of the Falklands was “unwavering.” “The islands are British and will remain so because that is the overwhelming position of the islanders… Their right of self-determination is paramount, grounded in international law and we will resolutely uphold it,” he said. 1997 Handover The 1984

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Nearly 40% of Hong Kong’s elderly face medium to extreme heat risk – Greenpeace

Nearly 40 per cent of Hong Kong’s elderly live in districts with medium to high or high-extreme heat risk, a new study has found. A subdivided unit in Kwun Tong, on February 8, 2025. Photo: James Lee/HKFP. NGO Greenpeace said on Thursday that it evaluated extreme heat risks in districts across the city by assessing factors such as day and night temperatures, concentrations of senior citizens, and income levels. Kwun Tong, Kwai Tsing, Tuen Mun, and Wong Tai Sin comprised the highest-risk areas, the NGO said. All four contain many old buildings as well as a high number of low-income elderly residents, some of whom live alone, the NGO said. The four districts only have one heat shelter each and these are located far from the areas where many elderly live. They also a lack outdoor green space, Greenpeace added. NGO Greenpeace’s heat map showing heat risks to the elderly across Hong Kong. Photo: Greenpeace. According to the group’s heat map, neighbourhoods with more greenery and country parks generally pose the lowest risk. On Hong Kong Island, Shek O, The Peak, and Pok Fu Lam were logged as low risk, while parts of Aberdeen and Eastern District were higher-risk. More extreme weather Hong Kong’s summer again set record high temperatures this year, with the mercury reaching 39.8 degrees Celsius in Sheung Shui in August. The official temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory also set a historical high that day. In June, the Observatory warned of more extreme weather in the coming year due to climate change and forecasts of a “super-strong El Niño event.” Ren Chao, a climate change expert at the University of Hong Kong’s architecture department who worked with Greenpeace, said the Hong Kong Observatory has predicted that the number of “hot nights” a year could reach 80 or more b

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BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Australia jails marketing executive who compiled reports for China

An Australian man convicted of reckless foreign interference for compiling reports for Chinese intelligence was sentenced to more than three years in jail by a Sydney court on Thursday. Downing Centre, a seat of the District Court in Sydney. Photo: Wikicommons. Marketing executive Alexander Csergo, 58, was arrested in Sydney by Australian police in 2023, shortly after he returned from living in Shanghai. He was accused of accepting cash from Chinese intelligence agents to write reports on topics including Australia’s AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership with the United States and Britain, and critical minerals. Sydney’s district court on Thursday sentenced Csergo to three years and six months in jail, eligible for parole from next month, a court official said. “Foreign interference is an assault on Australian sovereignty,” Australia’s spy chief Mike Burgess said, responding to the sentencing. “In this case, the spies wanted the Australian to target individuals in Australia’s intelligence community, Prime Minister’s Office, defence sector, judiciary and think tanks,” he added. Then-US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) security partnership with then-UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese March 13, 2023 at Sierra Pier at Point Loma Naval Base in San Diego, California. Photo: Hannah Foslien/White House Photo. Csergo is only the second person convicted under foreign interference laws introduced in 2018 to criminalise activity that helps a foreign power interfere with Australia’s sovereignty or national interest. He is the first person sentenced for reckless foreign interference. LinkedIn connection The court heard that Csergo had met two suspected Chinese agents, known to him as Ken

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BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

China says US accusations of AI theft are ‘groundless’

China said on Wednesday that US accusations of Chinese labs stealing the capabilities of American models were “groundless”, as the two countries race for tech supremacy. Ministry of Commerce of China. Photo: Wikicommons via CC2.0. The US cyber defense agency released an advisory on Tuesday accusing top Chinese AI labs including DeepSeek and Moonshot AI of systematically stealing the capabilities “through industrial-scale knowledge distillation campaigns”. It came ahead of an expected meeting this month between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the White House, where AI could be an important discussion topic. China hit back on Wednesday, calling the accusations “groundless”. “The US approach is a typical case of using the crackdown on distillation as a pretext to achieve industrial monopoly,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. The US accusations are a “case of double standards”, it added. Distillation is where an AI model is trained to mimic the output of a larger, more capable one. Chinese startup DeepSeek’s AI assistant. File photo: Kelly Ho/HKFP. The method is widely used across the industry, but Washington says Chinese firms have deployed it at scale to illicitly copy American systems. The US advisory also detailed how DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, Alibaba, MiniMax, StepFun and Z.AI allegedly used millions of exchanges and requests to steal the capabilities of US models from the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and xAI. Chinese companies that adopt this strategy “see significantly shorter AI development timelines and reduced financial expenditures in training a frontier model”, the advisory said. These actions, taken “likely with Chinese government awareness”, have occurred since at least late 2024, it said. AFP contacted the Chin

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BAGANBAZAR GRAPHSource-attributed newsWORLD desk
World

Contractors will bear repair costs for lift defects at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong development chief says

Hong Kong’s development chief has said that government contractors will bear the full repair costs for faulty lift work in a redeveloped building at Queen Mary Hospital that resulted in tilted elevator shafts. Queen Mary Hospital. File photo: GovHK. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn also said on Tuesday that the government reserves the right to seek compensation from the contractors and subcontractors responsible for the defective work, which has delayed the full reopening of Clinical Block 1 at the largest public hospital on Hong Kong Island. Linn confirmed on Tuesday that the external walls of the building’s elevator shafts had structural “errors,” following media reports that revealed the defects last week. “The errors may have left insufficient room for elevators to operate smoothly inside the buildings,” Linn told reporters in Cantonese, adding that some lift components were installed “improperly.” The Hong Kong Economic Times first reported on the structural defect last week, with unnamed sources saying that the new elevator shafts had a “rhombus” shape that they likened to Italy’s leaning Tower of Pisa. Linn said on Tuesday that the contractors were confident that the defects could be fixed in the final quarter of this year. Proper disclosure in due course She also defended a piecemeal-style disclosure process employed by various government departments regarding the issue, saying that full transparency at this stage could lead to legal disputes in the future. Hong Kong Development Secretary Bernadette Linn addresses the Legislative Council on January 14, 2026. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The Architectural Services Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department – the two governmental departments with direct oversight in the incident – have

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