World News by Wild Rose

A leading Hong Kong charity has called off a student eco-bag design contest meant to counter domestic violence following public backlash over its directive for pupils to draw inspiration from objects commonly linked to household abuse. Po Leung Kuk confirmed on Thursday that it had scrapped the competition, which was organised by its family crisis support service and funded by the Social Welfare Department. The charity said the event “might have caused misunderstanding and concern”, although its...

Hong Kong authorities are considering genetic testing as a supplementary tool for identifying breeds, an official has said after enforcement action against suspected fighting dogs sparked public concern. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) also said on Thursday that owners could keep existing fighting dogs, provided they complied with statutory requirements, and urged owners not to abandon their pets. Dr Michelle Yeung Lee, the department’s principal veterinary officer,...

Retired Catholic leader Joseph Zen Ze-kiun and four other activists have lost an appeal against their convictions for failing to register their legal defence fund for those involved in the 2019 anti-government protests in Hong Kong. The Court of Appeal on Thursday upheld a magistrate’s findings that the now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund fell within the definition of a society under the Societies Ordinance and its members were required to register the group with police or ask for an...

Chinese mainland investors rotated into Hong Kong stocks tied to artificial intelligence and pulled out of companies in traditional industries in August, taking advantage of a market dip to boost bets on the world’s most cutting-edge technology. AI model developer MiniMax Group logged net buying of HK$10.1 billion (US$1.29 billion) last month, the most among the Hong Kong-listed companies available for China’s onshore investors through the Stock Connect programme, according to data compiled by...

Hong Kong will roll out its first cross-industry exhibition for high-end products ranging from haute jewellery to supercars, yachts and private jets in November, as part of efforts to attract big spenders and cement the city as a global conference and event capital. The South China Morning Post learned on Wednesday that the inaugural Festival of Connoisseurs will receive some of the HK$100 million (US$12.8 million) set aside in Hong Kong’s 2026-27 budget to attract large-scale international...

Recently, I joined Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah in Malaysia for the official opening of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur. The occasion marked an elevation in Hong Kong’s economic and trade ties with Malaysia and the broader Southeast Asian region. During the visit, Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Office hosted a forum that brought government officials, business leaders and professionals together for substantive discussions – underscoring...

Hong Kong authorities have arrested a man and woman from a clinic on suspicion of selling a laboratory reagent as a bogus vaccine against more than 20 types of cancer. The arrests followed a joint operation by the Department of Health and police, during which investigators raided 13 premises linked to the company, said Frank Chan Ling-fung, an assistant director of health who oversees drug matters. Chan said there had been no reports of illness among people who had received the “WT1 cancer...

Hong Kong police have arrested a man on suspicion of stealing nearly HK$6,000 (US$770) in foreign currency while flying to the city from Thailand, with a passenger allegedly capturing the incident on camera and reporting it to cabin crew. The force said the 57-year-old man was arrested for the alleged theft after the HK Express flight landed in the city shortly before midnight on Wednesday. While police estimated the currency was worth about HK$6,000, a source put the amount at 25,000 baht,...

Hong Kong education authorities have reminded a school to consider the needs of students when enforcing rules after many were forced to wait in a long line outside the campus in the rain to have their uniforms and hair checked on the first day of the new academic year. The Education Bureau also made a similar call to another school, where students deemed to have failed with hair grooming rules were told to remain on campus until they could contact their parents. Dozens of online posts showed a...

Hong Kong customs has arrested a man and seized HK$42 million (US$5.3 million) worth of the illegal narcotic “space oil” from a workshop fitted with a semi-automated production line capable of churning out as many as 160,000 cartridges in a short span. Senior Investigator Chan Kit-lun of the Customs and Excise Department’s drug investigation bureau said on Wednesday officers intercepted a suspicious man the previous day and escorted him to a property in Kam Tin, Yuen Long. Inside, they found...

Hong Kong customs officers have arrested a woman on suspicion of using aggressive tactics to sell skincare products at a local beauty chain formerly operating under the Opatra London brand, bringing the number of arrests in the case to three. The Customs and Excise Department said on Wednesday that the beauty consultant, 22, allegedly pressured a customer into making purchases at the now-closed Sha Tin New Town Plaza outlet, which was formerly operated by Sayles Retail. The local woman...

Fourteen people, including nine children, have been injured in a collision involving two school buses at a Hong Kong girls’ primary school. The Fire Services Department said on Wednesday that it dispatched 10 ambulances to handle the accident at 1.26pm at Good Hope Primary School cum Kindergarten, located at No 381 Jat’s Incline in Ngau Chi Wan. Eight of the 14 injured people were sent to United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong for treatment, while another five were admitted to Kwong Wah Hospital...

The parent company of Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee plans to spin off and list its international operations in Hong Kong instead of New York in a strong endorsement of the city’s initial public offering (IPO) diversification efforts. Jollibee Foods Corp (JFC) said in January that it intended to list its overseas arm, Jollibee Foods Corporation International (JFCI), in the United States. The company has now selected Hong Kong as its listing destination. “Hong Kong offers the market depth...