SCMP Hong Kong·Thursday, January 8, 2026

SCMP Hong Kong - Thursday, January 8, 2026

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

Hong Kong social worker who had sex with teenager jailed for 2 years, 3 months

A Hong Kong social worker has been jailed for two years and three months for having sex with an underage girl five times and filming one of the illegal acts. The District Court on Thursday sentenced Wong Lok-tin, 39, for the crimes he committed when the teenager was 13 to 14 years old. The court heard that the father of one was a counsellor at a primary school, responsible for tackling pupils’ emotional and disciplinary problems. He became acquainted with the girl during an extracurricular...

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Faulty appliance sparks fire at Hong Kong housing estate, prompting 300 to flee

A fire believed to have been caused by a short circuit in a household appliance broke out at a Hong Kong public housing estate in east Kowloon, prompting more than 300 residents to flee their flats. Police on Thursday reported receiving multiple calls about a fire at Lam Wai House in Lam Tin Estate, at around 6.55pm. The force said about 300 residents evacuated on their own. Preliminary investigations indicated the fire was triggered by a short circuit in an electrical appliance. Footage...

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Hong Kong’s late summer flu season is over. But official says jabs still vital

Hong Kong has emerged from its summer flu season, which started late and extended into the new year, but a health official is urging the public to get vaccinated immediately to stave off a looming winter surge. This year’s summer influenza season began in early September and reached its peak in mid-to-late October. It lasted about four months, with authorities putting the death toll at 345 people, including three children. Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Centre for Health Protection,...

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Ex-PLA soldier remanded in Hong Kong for offering illegal ride-hailing services

A former People’s Liberation Army soldier has been remanded in custody in Hong Kong pending sentencing for offering paid rides with his Tesla Model S luxury sedan while using a tourist visa last year. Zeng Yulin, 39, pleaded guilty to 19 charges on Thursday after a police sting operation uncovered his illicit business, which earned him more than HK$73,000 (US$9,370) in two months. The court heard Zeng borrowed his friend’s Hong Kong identity card and driving licence without telling him he would.

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5 student unions at Chinese University of Hong Kong disband within a year

Five student unions among nine colleges at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have been dissolved in the space of a year, with their leaders attributing the closures to the institution’s requirement that they register as legal societies with police. The student union of Lee Woo Sing College on Wednesday became the latest group at CUHK to announce that it would cease operations. In a social media post, the union said its committee “originally planned to head to the police headquarters to.

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Hong Kong issues fresh reminder to buckle up ahead of January 25 seat belt rules

Hong Kong drivers and passengers have just more than two weeks to prepare for sweeping changes to local transport rules, including a requirement to wear seat belts on public transport and increased legal liability for motorists to ensure child passengers are buckled up. Authorities said on Thursday that the public should be mindful of new rules set to begin on January 25, which require passengers to wear a seat belt if available on public and private buses – including franchised and school...

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Hong Kong customs seizes HK$18 million of suspected ketamine in baby car seats

Hong Kong customs has arrested three people after seizing HK$18 million (US$2.3 million) worth of suspected ketamine hidden inside baby car seats in two shipping containers from the Netherlands and Spain. The Customs and Excise Department said on Thursday that its officers found 36.2kg (79.8lbs) of the substance while inspecting two seaborne consolidated containers in December, following an intelligence analysis and risk assessment. Officers first seized about 15.6kg of suspected ketamine from..

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Nearly 1 in 2 Hongkongers is overweight or obese, study shows

Nearly one in two Hongkongers is overweight or obese, a study has found, as doctors warn against using injectable weight-loss drugs bought online or from parallel importers without a prescription. The Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity revealed on Thursday that its latest survey of about 1,000 residents found 19.3 per cent were overweight based on body mass index (BMI). Some 46.7 per cent were in the normal BMI range, while 27.2 per cent were obese – nearly 5 percentage points more..

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Mainland Chinese medicine firms tap Hong Kong capital to fuel global expansion

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) manufacturers are gearing up to go public in Hong Kong, aiming to tap the market for international expansion. TCM firms have joined the queue for initial public offerings (IPOs) in the city to test foreign investors’ appetite for their shares. The latest to join the queue are Sichuan Neautus Traditional Chinese Medicine and Hong Kong-based Herb Standard. “Hong Kong will serve as our hub for capital, research and development, as well as international...

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Man arrested in Hong Kong for allegedly doxxing peer in industry chat groups

A man in Hong Kong has been arrested for allegedly exposing an industry peer’s identity card information and signature across trade chat groups without the victim’s consent. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) said on Thursday that a 46-year-old man had been arrested in the New Territories on suspicion of doxxing. The victim works in the cross-boundary vehicle business, handling tasks such as leasing vehicles and licence applications for customers. “In late November..

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