SCMP Hong Kong·Thursday, January 1, 2026

SCMP Hong Kong - Thursday, January 1, 2026

10 stories~15 min

Listen to this episode

Hear all 10 stories summarized and read aloud.

▶Play on Tera.fm

Stories Covered

Hong Kong girl, 13, arrested over fight with teen at ‘Lan Kwai Fong of Gen Z’

Hong Kong police have arrested a 13-year-old girl who allegedly assaulted and injured a 15-year-old student during a countdown celebration at a promenade dubbed the “Lan Kwai Fong of Gen Z”. Police said that the incident involving the two girls – who knew each other – took place at around 1am on New Year’s Day at Kwun Tong Promenade. “The victim had on multiple occasions spread false rumours about [the 13-year-old], making her upset,” acting chief inspector Leung Sze-nok of Kwun district police.

Read original →

Bars, hotels cash in as Hong Kong welcomes 25% more visitors for New Year’s Eve

The number of inbound visitors to Hong Kong on New Year’s Eve rose by 25 per cent from 2024, despite the city forgoing its traditional fireworks display because of the deadly Tai Po fire, with bars and hotels appearing to benefit the most from the increase in footfall over the holiday. But with the number of departures by Hongkongers also increasing by nearly 21 per cent over the same period, not all businesses stood to gain equally. Immigration Department figures compiled by the Post on...

Read original →

Hong Kong’s John Lee suffering from sciatica, Chief Executive’s Office says

Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu is suffering from sciatica, the Chief Executive’s Office has revealed, after he appeared to be in pain while standing for 1½ hours at the lawmakers’ swearing-in ceremony on New Year’s Day, with a cane placed nearby. The office said on Thursday that Lee was suffering from sciatica, but stopped short of revealing details of the city’s leader’s health condition. Sciatica is a condition that causes pain along the sciatic nerve, which is the largest in the body,...

Read original →

Hong Kong issues first cold weather warning as temperature to fall to 12 degrees

Hong Kong’s forecaster has issued its first cold weather warning of the season on New Year’s Day as temperatures are expected to fall to a low of 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) in urban areas on Friday. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the warning at 4.20pm on Thursday and said a cold front moving across the coastal areas of Guangdong would bring cooler weather to the city in the coming days. Minimum temperatures in urban areas are forecast to be around 12 degrees on Friday and a couple of

Read original →

85% of injured Hong Kong fire victims discharged, others in stable condition

About 85 per cent of those injured in the deadly Tai Po fire in Hong Kong have been discharged, while the rest are in a stable condition, according to health authorities. The Health Bureau also said on Wednesday that 63 affected residents received free family doctor consultations, 18 received free denture replacements in private dental clinics, and 24 were scheduled to receive Chinese medicine services. The fire at Wang Fuk Court in November claimed at least 161 lives and injured 79 others,...

Read original →

‘Be public representatives, not commentators,’ John Lee tells Hong Kong lawmakers

Newly elected lawmakers should be “representatives of the public” rather than mere commentators, Hong Kong’s leader has said after the swearing-in of all 90 legislators, warning against “soft resistance” and acts that stir conflicts under the guise of critique. Meanwhile, veteran lawmakers Starry Lee Wai-king and Ronick Chan Chun-ying, front-runners for the Legislative Council presidency, remained tight-lipped about their bids on Thursday, a day before the nomination period is set to...

Read original →

Hong Kong’s new smoking rules just kicked in. Is everyone sticking to them?

Some smokers are still lighting up at bus stops in Hong Kong despite new rules banning them from doing so while queuing, the Post has observed, with authorities saying they have stepped up inspections at tourist spots and ramped up publicity efforts. The new rules took effect on Thursday and include a ban on anyone smoking at designated boarding points for public transport when waiting in a queue of two or more people. But on the first day of the policy, a Post reporter spotted a man smoking as.

Read original →

‘Hong Kong has lived up to expectations,’ Beijing says in new year message

Beijing’s top office overseeing Hong Kong affairs said on New Year’s Day that the city had lived up to expectations, highlighting its response to the deadly Tai Po fire as proof of “unity and resilience”. The office’s comments came as city leader John Lee Ka-chiu, in response to President Xi Jinping’s new year greetings, pledged that Hong Kong would pursue quality development, deepen reforms and open up. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office noted that both special administrative regions had...

Read original →

Higher fees at Hong Kong hospitals spark confusion, calls to expand clinics

The first day of Hong Kong’s revamped pricing regime at public hospitals was marked by confusion and frustration, as some patients said they were caught off guard by the changes and complained about higher fees, even as authorities reported a smooth roll-out. Several patients urged the government to expand capacity at public clinics – the most affordable option for low-income residents, despite a threefold increase in fees under the reform – saying the persistent difficulty in securing...

Read original →

French professor arrested in Hong Kong over drug possession as wife found dead in flat

A woman was found dead in a Hong Kong flat, while her husband – who called police for help – was arrested on suspicion of possessing dangerous drugs. A source told the Post the man was an associate professor at City University. The force said it received a call at 4.13pm on Wednesday from a French man, 48, saying his Filipino wife, 30, had passed out in their home at the Avignon housing estate in So Kwun Wat, Tuen Mun. Both were Hong Kong residents. Officers and emergency personnel arrived at...

Read original →