Hong Kong’s John Lee vows to review IVF support for women over 40

South China Morning Post - Sep 17, 2026

Hong Kong’s leader has vowed to examine whether the government can better support women aged over 40 seeking assisted reproductive treatment, while acknowledging that financial incentives alone will not reverse the city’s falling birth rate. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made the pledge during a radio phone-in programme on Thursday, when residents described obstacles to having children, including job insecurity, a day after the leader unveiled a raft of measures aimed at boosting the birth...

Read full article
More News
SEC unveils exemption for tokenized stock trading
SEC unveils exemption for tokenized stock trading
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) unveiled its long-awaited “innovation exemption” Thursday, a new order aimed at clearing the way for tokenized stock trading in the U.S. The order creates...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Global Economy Is Running Out of Wiggle Room
Global Economy Is Running Out of Wiggle Room
Many countries blunted the most painful effects of the energy shock from the war in Iran. But prices remain elevated and risks are multiplying.
Sep 17, 2026See more
Carney: Canada welcomes proposal to become EU associate member 
Carney: Canada welcomes proposal to become EU associate member 
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday welcomed Canada’s invitation to join the European Union as its first associate member. “A Canada-EU alliance would create a beacon for other democracies,”...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Hong Kong eyeing gold expansion and Northern Metropolis vaults to cement hub status
Hong Kong eyeing gold expansion and Northern Metropolis vaults to cement hub status
Hong Kong’s plan to raise its gold holdings will further cement the city’s status as an international financial centre, with the possibility of building vaults in the Northern Metropolis megadevelopment,...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Commentary: The approaching El Niño is scary, but L.A.'s starred in this horror movie before
Commentary: The approaching El Niño is scary, but L.A.'s starred in this horror movie before
The thousands of square miles of mountain watershed around L.A. -- the San Gabriels and the San Bernardinos -- are as steep as roller coasters, and the rain funnels off...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Trump: EU allowing Canada to become associate member could be 'hostile act'
Trump: EU allowing Canada to become associate member could be 'hostile act'
President Trump said Wednesday the European Union inviting Canada to join as an associate member could amount to a “hostile act,” threatening tariffs or a trade embargo against the bloc....
Sep 17, 2026See more
NBC4 chopper's final moments: A blaring alarm, loss of altitude and panic. Why did it crash?
NBC4 chopper's final moments: A blaring alarm, loss of altitude and panic. Why did it crash?
The crash that killed three people on Tuesday night, including two NBC4 journalists, involved a single-engine AS350 B2 helicopter. Questions surround why it suddenly dropped from the sky.
Sep 17, 2026See more
3 firms fined over HK$900,000 each for role in apprentice electrician’s death
3 firms fined over HK$900,000 each for role in apprentice electrician’s death
A main contractor and two subcontractors have been fined more than HK$900,000 each for their role in the death of a 38-year-old worker who was electrocuted while handling wiring for...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Hong Kong will lack 130,000 workers by 2028, fewer than projected due to talent policies
Hong Kong will lack 130,000 workers by 2028, fewer than projected due to talent policies
Hong Kong will be short of 130,000 workers by 2028, about a third less than originally projected, a reduction the city’s labour chief attributed to the development of artificial intelligence...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Hong Kong property market gets reprieve on rates, but position remains precarious
Hong Kong property market gets reprieve on rates, but position remains precarious
Hong Kong’s property market dodged an immediate hit from the Federal Reserve’s rate hike on Thursday as major local banks kept their prime rates unchanged, but another increase could puncture...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Washington balks at giving AI firms waiver to create safety standard 
Washington balks at giving AI firms waiver to create safety standard 
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's call for an antitrust waiver for AI firms to work together on a safety standard is being met with skepticism in Washington, where policymakers are questioning...
Sep 17, 2026See more
A California gender gap: Young Latinas want to fight Trump harder than Latinos, study finds
A California gender gap: Young Latinas want to fight Trump harder than Latinos, study finds
Young and working-class Latina voters in California care more about protecting immigrant communities and fighting President Trump's agenda than their male counterparts, according to a UCLA study.
Sep 17, 2026See more
High-speed rail authority wasted money on first-class flights, trips to nightclub, report finds
High-speed rail authority wasted money on first-class flights, trips to nightclub, report finds
California's high-speed rail authority is under new scrutiny after an inspector general found the agency approved more than half a million dollars in wasteful and unexplained travel spending.
Sep 17, 2026See more
More UC students are failing intro math courses as regents weigh reinstating SAT
More UC students are failing intro math courses as regents weigh reinstating SAT
As UC regents reconsider test-free admissions, faculty cite rising math failure rates while admissions officials report stable overall graduation rates.
Sep 17, 2026See more
The Fed Raised Rates. What Comes Next?
The Fed Raised Rates. What Comes Next?
Kevin M. Warsh, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, on Wednesday left open-ended how much more interest rates may have to rise to tame inflation.
Sep 17, 2026See more
Hong Kong police officer left paralysed in 2005 knife attack dies
Hong Kong police officer left paralysed in 2005 knife attack dies
A former Hong Kong police constable who was left paralysed and bedridden for 21 years following a knife attack during a stop-and-search has died, the force has confirmed. Jacky Chu Chun-kwok,...
Sep 17, 2026See more
22 months’ jail for Hong Kong driver who fatally struck student at traffic junction
22 months’ jail for Hong Kong driver who fatally struck student at traffic junction
A Hong Kong man has been sentenced to 22 months behind bars for driving dangerously and causing a 19-year-old student’s death at a pedestrian crossing two years ago. The District Court...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Hong Kong targets 240 air destinations by 2030, eyeing new Uzbekistan routes
Hong Kong targets 240 air destinations by 2030, eyeing new Uzbekistan routes
Hong Kong aims to expand the number of global destinations connected to its airport from 220 to 240 by 2030, with authorities exploring the launch of routes to Uzbekistan. Chief Executive...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Hong Kong’s ‘AI city brain’ to cost initial HK$200m, but ‘won’t catch thieves’
Hong Kong’s ‘AI city brain’ to cost initial HK$200m, but ‘won’t catch thieves’
Hong Kong’s proposed “AI city brain” will cost HK$200 million (US$25.5 million) for the first phase and will connect to the police’s citywide security camera network, authorities have revealed, while...
Sep 17, 2026See more
IT worker, 51, allegedly kills wife with knife after financial disputes
IT worker, 51, allegedly kills wife with knife after financial disputes
A man believed to be more than HK$1 million (US$ 127,470) in debt is suspected of murdering his wife in their flat after previous financial disputes, according to preliminary investigations...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Hong Kong’s first 5-year plan, John Lee’s 2026 policy address: everything you need to know
Hong Kong’s first 5-year plan, John Lee’s 2026 policy address: everything you need to know
We have put together stories from our coverage of John Lee’s 2026 policy address. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. 14 key takeaways...
Sep 17, 2026See more
CityU’s response to disco night ‘misconduct’ an overreaction
CityU’s response to disco night ‘misconduct’ an overreaction
In response to the August 27 case of a young man lifting up and carrying a young woman at a party, City University authorities have established a student discipline panel....
Sep 17, 2026See more
Peter Navarro says Fed's rate raise is 'a bad decision'
Peter Navarro says Fed's rate raise is 'a bad decision'
White House adviser Peter Navarro on Wednesday blasted the Federal Reserve's move to raise interest rates, calling it "a bad decision." The central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), led...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Hong Kong’s 5-year plan, policy continuity offer investors more stability, experts say
Hong Kong’s 5-year plan, policy continuity offer investors more stability, experts say
Longer-term vision and policies with continuity mapped out in Hong Kong’s inaugural five-year plan, along with the latest policy blueprint, offer investment opportunities and greater stability for investors, according to...
Sep 17, 2026See more
Some California cars will get to skip smog checks. What to know about Jay Leno's Law
Some California cars will get to skip smog checks. What to know about Jay Leno's Law
Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Jay Leno's Burbank garage to sign State Bill 1392, which expands smog check exemptions for certain collector cars.
Sep 17, 2026See more
Recommended