SCMP Hong Kong·Friday, January 9, 2026

SCMP Hong Kong - Friday, January 9, 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 hospital A&E department visits fall 12% after new fees take effect

Visits to accident and emergency (A&E) departments at Hong Kong’s public hospitals have dropped by nearly 12 per cent since a new pricing regime took effect, while the number of people benefiting from fee waivers has tripled. The Hospital Authority said on Friday that in the first week after the new fees regime was implemented on New Year’s Day it had seen a “significant decrease” in average daily A&E attendance, while more low-income families and underprivileged groups were being...

Read original →

Hourly services at first automated Hong Kong public car park partially resume

Hourly services at Hong Kong’s first automated public car park have partially resumed following a suspension of operations for an urgent system update just two days after its debut. In a reply to the Post, the Architectural Services Department said on Friday that hourly parking services for larger vehicles had resumed at noon, while those for private cars would begin again shortly. The department said it was aware of the instability of the car parking system on Tong Yin Street in Tseung Kwan O,.

Read original →

El Nino could cost Hong Kong US$300 billion and shorten life expectancy: study

Extreme weather brought about by the El Nino phenomenon could cost Hong Kong as much as US$300 billion over the 21st century, according to a joint study by local and Singapore universities. The study also painted a bleak picture for public health, finding that Hongkongers born during the two strong El Nino events in 1982-83 and 1997-98 could have their life expectancy reduced by five to seven months. Led by Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University in collaboration with City University...

Read original →

Hong Kong students lauded for using AI to help elderly fulfil travel dreams

A group of Hong Kong students has created an award-winning initiative that uses artificial intelligence to help elderly couples fulfil their travel dreams, with the city leader’s wife highlighting the technology’s role in volunteer services. Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim, the spouse of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, lauded the achievement at the Hong Kong Volunteer Award’s presentation ceremony on Friday, saying innovation and technology would drive progress in volunteer development. “I hope everyone

Read original →

8 arrested over attempting to defraud HK$8.24 million from Hong Kong subsidy scheme

Hong Kong police have arrested eight people for allegedly attempting to defraud HK$8.24 million (US$1.06 million) from a subsidy scheme meant to help companies boost employees’ technology skills, with a family suspected of running the swindle. Chen Chi-cheong, assistant district commander (crime) of Sham Shui Po police district, said on Friday that officers had busted a suspected fraud syndicate this week. The eight suspects were believed to have targeted the government’s “New Industrialisation.

Read original →

Hong Kong sets up 13-member expert panel to help mainland firms expand overseas

Hong Kong’s Department of Justice has set up a 13-member expert committee to advise on strategies for promoting the city’s legal and professional services sector to mainland Chinese businesses seeking to expand overseas. The department said on Friday that the new Expert Committee on Professional Services for Going Global, chaired by Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, would build on the GoGlobal platform authorities launched in December. Cheung said the committee would gather..

Read original →

Hong Kong just had its driest January day. But how does that impact your health?

Hong Kong experienced its driest January day on record earlier this week, bucking its reputation for high temperatures and humidity. Relative humidity in the city plunged to 17 per cent on Thursday, the lowest for the month since records started in 1984. To help Hongkongers adjust, the Post speaks to experts about how to manage the cold and dry weather. 1. What is the impact on the respiratory system? Dr Edmund Lam Wing-wo, a family doctor, said the sudden cold and dry weather was conducive to..

Read original →

Hong Kong’s Frederick Ma urges deeper support for special needs education

The chairman of the Hong Kong Special Schools Council chairman has urged the public to strengthen their support for disabled students in the city at a charity golf event organised to raise awareness of the group. The tournament, held on Friday at Fanling Golf Club and organised by the council, drew 21 teams comprising 84 people, including one made up of players with disabilities. Competitors vied for prizes such as a BYD electric car and tickets to see Cantopop singer Jacky Cheung Hok-yau in...

Read original →

Fortnum & Mason’s Hong Kong branch to close on January 25, holds clearance sale

Fortnum & Mason, the upmarket department store chain that counts the British royal family among its regular customers, has announced that its flagship shop in Hong Kong will close by the end of the month. The British luxury goods brand, known for its speciality teas and food hampers, announced on Friday that the store, which opened in 2019, would also offer discounts of up to 60 per cent ahead of its closure. “We want to share that we have taken the decision to close our store and restaurant in.

Read original →

To root out corruption, Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire investigation must go beyond scapegoats

Alongside death and taxes, there are few things more universally certain than corruption in public procurement. That is a reality worth keeping front of mind in Hong Kong as we home in on those we want to blame for the tragic Wang Fuk Court fire that in November killed at least 161 people and left thousands homeless. The maintenance contracts may not have been public procurement contracts, but they were supposed to be strictly overseen by officials and subject to government regulations....

Read original →