Two men, including a UK immigration officer, have been found guilty of spying on politicians and pro-democracy activists on behalf of China.

Chung Biu (Bill) Yuen, 65, and Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 40, were found to have violated the National Security Act by assisting a foreign intelligence.

Wai, who was a UK immigration officer, was also convicted of misusing his Border Force job to gain access to the interior ministry’s computer system.

The court heard both men — who were dual Chinese and UK citizens — posed as legitimate police or intelligence officers to conduct surveillance and gather information about Hong Kong pro-democracy supporters and others deemed “persons of interest”.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson told the court Yuen and Wai had been tasked to carry out “shadow policing operations” for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and ultimately China.

Wai worked as a UK Border Force officer, a volunteer officer for City of London Police and ran a private security company.

Yuen used to be a superintendent in the Hong Kong Police and was employed in London by the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office, the official overseas representative of Hong Kong’s government.

Prosecutors said Yuen’s work went beyond his job description as office manager of the trade office.

The court heard he helped gather intelligence for Hong Kong on pro-democracy activists and politicians who had moved to the UK in recent years after authorities introduced a wide-ranging national security law in the Asian financial hub.

Yuen assigned tasks to Wai, who then allegedly used police systems to gather information for his private work that was a cover for his spying.

Prosecutors said Wai was paid from a trade office account.

Phone messages showed the two conducted surveillance of former Hong Kong politician Nathan Law and that their interest extended beyond Hong Kong activists, who they referred to as “cockroaches.”

“They wanted to know where they were, where they live, what they are doing, who they are associating with, who they are communicating with and how they are doing that and those are the very things that these defendants were in the business of obtaining,” Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson said.

Yuen told Wai to pay special attention to members of parliament or government employees and in 2023 provided the name of prominent politicians, including Conservative UK politician Iain Duncan Smith, a co-chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.

The jury could not reach a verdict on a separate count relating to forcing entry into the northern England home of a woman accused of fraud in 2024.

A third man, Matthew Trickett, 37, was also accused of the same offences before his death after the trio were charged.

He was a former British Royal Marine who worked as an immigration officer and private investigator.

His death was not considered suspicious.

The Chinese Embassy in London has accused Britain of fabricating the charges against the two men.

London has repeatedly accused Beijing of espionage activities.

There have been tensions between the UK and China over a national security crackdown in Hong Kong that saw violent pro-democracy protests in 2019. (ABC News)

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The Hong Kong government on Monday gazetted and immediately implemented revised implementation rules under Article 43 of the National Security Law, empowering police to compel suspects to provide passwords for electronic devices and introducing new penalties and enforcement powers.

The Amendment Rules, effective today, state that police officers may require specified individuals under national security investigation to hand over passwords or decryption methods for electronic devices.

Failure to comply is now a criminal offense, punishable by a fine of up to HK$100,000 and one year in prison.

The amendments also clarify penalties for non-compliance with court orders to surrender travel documents, unauthorized departure from Hong Kong while under investigation for suspected national security offences, or breaching conditions attached to returned documents or approved travel.

Police, with approval from the Secretary for Security, can now order the removal of electronic messages deemed likely to constitute or incite national security crimes.

The Commissioner of Police may direct message publishers, platform operators, hosting services or network providers to remove or restrict such content within a specified time.

Customs officers gain authority to seize items reasonably suspected of carrying seditious intent during duties at designated locations, and the Commissioner of Customs can apply to a magistrate for forfeiture.

Government spokespeople explained that the changes draw from years of case-handling experience to refine enforcement tools, clarify procedures and strengthen agencies’ capabilities amid complex and unpredictable geopolitical risks.

They stressed the need for constant vigilance to fulfill constitutional duties in safeguarding national security. Officials insisted the revisions fully comply with the Basic Law, including human rights provisions, and the National Security Law itself, without affecting ordinary citizens’ daily lives or the normal operations of organizations.

Representatives from the Security Bureau and Department of Justice will brief lawmakers at a joint meeting of the Legislative Council’s Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services and Panel on Security tomorrow. (The Standard)

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A Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison under Beijing’s sweeping national security law in a verdict that media and rights groups have described as “cruel and profoundly unjust”.

The sentence on Monday ends Hong Kong’s most high-profile national security prosecution and a legal saga spanning almost five years.

Lai, the founder ⁠of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, was first arrested in August 2020 and was found guilty late last year on two counts of foreign collusion and one count of seditious publication.

Lai’s sentence of 20 years was within the most severe penalty “band” of 10 years to life imprisonment for offences of a “grave nature”.

The Hong Kong court said Lai’s sentence was enhanced by the fact that he was the “mastermind” and driving force behind foreign collusion conspiracies.

The 78-year-old, who is also a citizen of the United Kingdom, has denied all the charges against him, saying in court that he is a “political prisoner” facing persecution from Beijing.

Given his age, the prison term could keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.

Lai’s family, lawyer, supporters and former colleagues have warned that he could die in prison because he suffers from health conditions, including heart palpitations and high blood pressure.

Before Lai left the courtroom, he looked serious as some people in the public gallery cried.

‘Cruel and profoundly unjust’

In addition to Lai, six former senior Apple Daily staffers, an activist and a paralegal were also sentenced on Monday.

His codefendants received jail terms ranging from six years and three months to 10 years.

The convicted journalists are publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, executive editor-in-chief responsible for English news Fung Wai-kong and editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee.

“The rule of law has been completely shattered ⁠in Hong Kong,” said Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists. “Today’s egregious decision is the final nail in the coffin for freedom of the press in Hong Kong.

“The international community must step up its pressure to free Jimmy Lai if we want press freedom to be respected anywhere in the world.”

Lai’s prosecution has also been criticised by global leaders, including United States President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said he had raised Lai’s case during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last month.

“The harsh 20-year sentence against 78-year-old Jimmy Lai is effectively a death sentence,” said Elaine Pearson, the Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

“A sentence of this magnitude is both cruel and profoundly unjust.”

The European Union’s foreign affairs spokesperson Anitta Hipper said the union “deplores” Lai’s prison sentence and urges Hong Kong authorities to “stop prosecuting journalists”.

Beijing has previously dismissed such criticism as attempts to smear Hong Kong’s judicial system while Hong Kong authorities maintain that Lai’s case “has nothing to do with freedom of speech and of the press”.

Crackdown on media freedom

Lai was one of the first prominent figures to be arrested under the security law, imposed by Beijing in 2020. Within a year, some of Apple Daily’s senior journalists were also arrested. Police raids, prosecutions and a freeze of its assets forced the newspaper to close in June 2021.

The final edition sold a million copies.

Lai’s daughter, Claire, told The Associated Press news agency that she hopes authorities see the wisdom in releasing her father, a Roman Catholic. She said their faith rests in God. “We will never stop fighting until he is free,” she said.

Before the sentencing, the Hong Kong Free Press reported that police detained a woman outside the West Kowloon court after finding an Apple Daily keychain in her possession. At least two other activists were also searched, including Tsang Kin-shing, a member of the now-disbanded League of Social Democrats.

The sentencing comes against the backdrop of heightened restrictions on Hong Kong media.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association said in 2024 that dozens of journalists faced “systematic and organised” harassment and intimidation, including leaked personal information and death threats.

According to Reporters Without Borders, at least 900 Hong Kong journalists lost their jobs in the four years after the enactment of the national security law in the city. (Al Jazeera)

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Former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper batsman Kaushal Silva has been appointed as the new head coach of Hong Kong’s cricket team, the sport’s governing body in the city said on Monday.

The 39-year-old, who played 39 Tests and scored three hundreds between 2011 and 2018, is expected to start his new job sometime next month, once his visa has come through.

After a short coaching stint in England, Silva has been working in Australia since 2019, most recently at the Superkings Cricket Academy, but will now make the step up to associate cricket as Simon Willis’ replacement.

Silva said he was excited at the prospect of coaching the team and “looked forward to working with the talented group of players”.

His first significant challenge, other than improving an underperforming side, will be the Asia Cup, which will return to its T20 format and be held in the United Arab Emirates from September 9th to September 28th.

While India and Pakistan have been thrown together alongside the hosts and Oman in Group A, Hong Kong face Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Group B. The top two sides in each group will progress to the semi-finals.

“Hong Kong Cricket has a lot of potential, and I am eager to contribute to the team’s growth and success on the international stage,” Silva said. “My focus will be on instilling a strong work ethic and a winning mentality amongst the senior squad and working to identify and nurture fresh talent for continued growth.”

He has plenty of work to do. The team struggled in the latter stages of Willis’ reign and had already been well beaten twice by Malaysia this month at the Asia Pacific Cricket Champions Trophy in Singapore, before getting utterly hammered in Saturday’s final.

In a game reduced to five overs at the National Cricket Ground, Malaysia needed just 14 balls to get the 55 runs required for victory.

Burji Shroff, chairman of Cricket Hong Kong, China, said his organisation was “delighted” to welcome Silva to the role, given his “wealth of experience and profound understanding of the intricacies of the game”.

“His expertise will be instrumental as we strive to enhance our recent performances and work towards achieving our long-term objectives,” Shroff said. “We believe that under his guidance ,we can not only elevate our competitive standing, but also promote the sport within our community.” (SCMP)

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Sri Lanka has displayed exclusive products of 11 Sri Lankan Giftware and Lifestyle companies at the HKTDC Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair 2025 held in Hong Kong recently.

The Sri Lankan Giftware and Lifestyle sector blends traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques, producing unique items such as batiks, handloom textiles, wooden products, ceramic products, bamboo and rattan products with annual export revenue over USD 60 Mn.  

According to the Export Development Board (EDB), most of the potential exporters can be categorised under the SME category, which provides direct employment for over 200,000 people, including Artisans.

Given the importance of exploring opportunities in the international market for this sector, Sri Lanka’s EDB, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), organised an EDB stall at the fair, which was manned by the EDB to display the unique giftware and lifestyle products.

The HKTDC Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair was held from 27th to 30th April 2025 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong.

Sri Lankan companies that displayed their products at the EDB Stall at the fair, include Trickledown (Pvt) Limited, Leila Lanka (Pvt) Limited, Novel Ceramic (Pvt) Limited, Candle House Ceylon, Mana Ceylon Manufacturers Pvt Ltd, Crafter’s Collection, Sena Eco (Pvt) Limited, Kalutara Ceramic, Dilanka Porcelain Center, Ceylon Brushtech (Pvt) Limited and Kanrich 2nd life. 

In addition, a three-member trade delegation comprising representatives from Dazzle, Sena Eco (Pvt) Ltd, and Josephs Foundation (Pvt) Ltd participated in the fair to explore new trade opportunities and international connections.

The EDB stall drew substantial interest from international buyers, importers, and distributors, particularly those seeking sustainable and eco-friendly giftware solutions. Over 100 visitors engaged with the Sri Lankan stall, expressing strong interest in ceramic items, coir products, plant-based paper goods, and upcycled products.

Adding to the significance of the event, Mr. Derek Hung, Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in Hong Kong, visited the stall at the invitation of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Beijing. He facilitated a meeting with members of the Sri Lankan community in Hong Kong, where discussions were held on mobilising the diaspora to support the promotion of Sri Lankan products in future events.

Sri Lanka’s participation in the HKTDC Gifts & Premium Fair 2025 reaffirmed its position as a reliable and competitive supplier of high-quality, handmade, and sustainable giftware products. The fair also provided valuable insights into emerging market trends, innovative design concepts, and new export channels, paving the way for long-term business collaborations.

This initiative marks a significant step towards expanding the international footprint of Sri Lanka’s Giftware and Lifestyle sector. Building on this momentum, the EDB plans to continue this engagement in future editions of the fair, opening doors to new markets and reinforcing Sri Lanka’s presence in the global giftware industry. (Newswire)

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India’s Ministry of Culture has initiated measures to halt the auction of Piprahwa relics, linked to Lord Buddha, scheduled by Sotheby’s Hong Kong. The artifacts, excavated in 1898 from the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, include bone fragments and caskets. The site is closely associated with Buddha’s early life.

Classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, the relics are prohibited from sale or export. While some were transferred to the Indian Museum, Kolkata, in 1899, a portion retained by the family of British excavator William Claxton Peppé has been listed for auction.

The ministry issued a legal notice to Sotheby’s and directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to request intervention via Hong Kong’s Consulate General.

During a bilateral meeting with UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy on May 2, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat emphasised the relics’ significance and sought repatriation efforts.

A high-level meeting on May 5 outlined further steps, including engagement by the Ministry of External Affairs with embassies in the UK and Hong Kong.

The Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) will collaborate with Hong Kong authorities to enforce international laws.

The Indian government issued a detailed legal notice to Sotheby’s Hong Kong and Chris Peppé, descendant of British colonial excavator William Claxton Peppé. The Ministry of Culture called the sale a “violation of Indian law, international conventions, and the sanctity of Buddhist heritage,” demanding immediate cancellation and repatriation.

The notice asserts the relics are “inalienable religious and cultural heritage” protected under India’s Antiquities and Art Treasures Act (1972), which designates them as ‘AA’-grade antiquities. It clarifies that while some relics were transferred to Kolkata’s Indian Museum in 1899 and others gifted to the King of Siam, the Peppé family retained items erroneously labeled as “duplicate jewels” under temporary custodianship.

“The term ‘duplicate’ is historically and religiously inaccurate,” the notice reads, citing Brahmi inscriptions confirming the relics were interred by the Sakya clan as offerings to the Buddha.

“These sacred grave goods are inseparable from the Buddha’s remains. To commodify them violates Buddhist theology and international ethical norms.”

Challenging Sotheby’s description of the Peppé family as “custodians,” the notice states, “Custodianship does not grant rights to alienate or misappropriate assets. The relics belong to the Buddha, the Sakya clan, and India, where the stupa stands.”

It references a 2004 Sunday Times report revealing the relics were “forgotten in a shoebox at the bottom of a cabinet,” countering claims of reverent preservation. “Monetizing custodianship through publicity and exhibition contradicts the sacred responsibility entrusted to custodians,” the notice adds.

Under Indian law, the relics are classified as state property under the Ancient Monuments Act (1958) and the Treasure Trove Act (1878), which vested ownership with the colonial government at the time of excavation.

“Mr. Peppé was granted temporary custody, not ownership. India’s post-independence laws affirm the state’s sole rights over such antiquities,” the notice states.

Internationally, it invokes the UNESCO 1970 Convention (ratified by India and China/Hong Kong) and the UNIDROIT 1995 Convention, which mandate the return of illegally exported cultural property.

“No legal export documentation exists for these relics. Their sale contravenes Article 3 of UNIDROIT, requiring repatriation of illicitly removed artifacts,” it adds.

The ministry cites precedents, including the 1952 return of Sanchi Stupa relics from the UK’s Victoria & Albert Museum and the ongoing repatriation of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, to underscore a “global ethical shift” against colonial-era acquisitions.

“Just as the Benin Bronzes symbolize the suffering of the Edo people, these relics represent the spiritual legacy of millions of Buddhists. Their sale perpetuates colonial injustice,” the notice argues.

Highlighting religious sensitivities, the document quotes the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Code of Ethics, which requires museums to handle sacred materials “in a manner consistent with the beliefs of their communities of origin.”

It condemns the auction as “an affront to 500 million Buddhists,” noting objections from groups like the British Maha Bodhi Society.

“The Buddha’s relics are not art market commodities but objects of veneration. Their sale desecrates a global spiritual legacy,” the notice states. Ethical concerns are amplified by comparisons to halted auctions, such as Sotheby’s 2019 withdrawal of an Egyptian artifact after looting claims and the 2024 Graceland Auction controversy.

“Auction houses have a duty to avoid profiting from contested heritage,” the notice says, accusing Sotheby’s of “condoning grave robbery and colonial exploitation.”

India demands Sotheby’s immediately cancel the auction, repatriate the relics through diplomatic channels, issue a public apology, and disclose all provenance documents and details of relics held by the Peppé family. Non-compliance risks “legal action in Indian and Hong Kong courts, UNESCO interventions, and global advocacy campaigns exposing Sotheby’s role in cultural commodification.”

The Ministry expressed openness to negotiations but warned, “The relics’ sanctity cannot be bargained. Their return is non-negotiable.” Sotheby’s Associate General Counsel Ivy Wong acknowledged the notice, stating, “Full attention is given to this matter.”

The auction remains scheduled for Wednesday at 10:30am in Hong Kong. (Hindustan Times)

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More than 90 per cent of Hong Kong school pupils are failing to get at least 60 minutes of exercise a day as recommended by the World Health Organization, a citywide study has found.

The results of the university study, which collected data on the physical activities of 1,476 primary school pupils and 1,929 secondary students, were released on Saturday.

“Overall, the exercise level of children in Hong Kong is very insufficient,” said Patrick Ip Pak-keung, a clinical professor at the University of Hong Kong’s paediatrics and adolescent medicine department.

The study, conducted by Ip’s department, gathered data using special monitoring bracelets that students wore for several weeks during the 2023-24 school year.

Researchers found that only 7.4 per cent of study participants managed to do a minimum of 60 minutes of medium- to vigorous-intensity physical activity every day, the WHO’s benchmark for those aged five to 17.

The figure stood at 7.9 per cent in the previous school year.

A breakdown of the latest data also showed 3.5 per cent of secondary school students managed to meet the benchmark, up from the previous level of 2.6 per cent.

Ip, who led the study, said one of the major reasons behind the low figure was the heavy emphasis parents placed on children’s academic results.

Such attitudes meant youngsters were expected to instead attend tutorial classes and sharpen their academic abilities, he said.

“Parents will lack the chance to take part in high-quality parent-child activities with their children, especially where they can exercise together in school or at home,” he said.

Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said her bureau had always attached great importance to the holistic development of students and on helping them build a healthy lifestyle.

She said authorities had also encouraged students to follow the WHO’s physical activity recommendations and they had also added physical education to subjects evaluated as part of secondary school allocation system in the 2026-27 academic year.

The study also found differences in the amount of physical activity done by boys and girls, most obviously among primary school pupils.

The data showed that 19.6 per cent of primary school boys achieved the benchmark, compared with only 6.1 per cent of girls.

Ip also pointed to a drop in the overall fitness levels of students, citing data gathered from schools taking part in the School Physical Fitness Award Scheme.

The academic said a 12-year-old boy in 2015-16 typically had a grip strength of 19.5kg (42.9lbs), compared with 18.4kg in 2023-24.

The professor also noted a drop in students’ elasticity levels. A 12-year-old boy in 2007-08 would be able to reach forward by 27.4cm (10.8 inches) when sitting up, compared with 23cm in 2023-24, he said.

Sam Wong Wing-sum, executive director of the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, whose organisation partners with the university to promote physical fitness at schools, called for more measures to address the problem.

Giving two suggestions, he said it was necessary to develop children’s interest in physical activities from a young age and that schools should become more sports-friendly.

“Can every child take advantage and cherish the opportunities to have extracurricular or after-school activities? Do the environment and facilities of schools encourage children to become more active? Are there enough facilities for physical activities?” he asked. “These are all ways to improve sports friendliness.”

Lobo Louie Hung-tak, associate head of the Education University of Hong Kong’s health and physical education department, said the study results were an alarm call on students’ well-being.

“If everyone does not take care of the physique of students, it will be useless if Hong Kong students get countless awards in mathematics or other subjects,” he said.

Louie said he believed the main cause of the issue was that parents placed too much emphasis on their children’s academics, while ignoring the importance of their physical health.

“Parents must give their children the opportunity and space for them to be active,” he said. “This is something that Hong Kong is really bad at, as we focus too much on academics.”

He said to change attitudes society needed to have both facilities and policies in place.

The expert pointed to the soon-to-open Kai Tak Sports Park as an example of facilities that could encourage the public to go out and engage in physical activity. He said he hoped education policy could be adjusted to reflect the value of exercise and parents could realise its importance. (SCMP)

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The Chinese law enforcement agencies on Monday detained a street artist from Causeway Bay in Hong Kong merely hours before the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, Voice of America (VOA) reported on Tuesday.

The street artist Sanmu Chen was arrested from the area that is close to Victoria Park, where the annual commemoration of the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989 took place.

However, after the introduction of new security laws imposed by Beijing in 2020, the events and the crowds have disappeared.

According to the VOA, Chen was arrested for the second time. Last year the artist was arrested at the same time for reportedly chanting slogans “Hong Kongers, do not be afraid. Don’t forget tomorrow is June 4.”

This time the artist has been arrested for mimeing the action of drinking in front of a police van. Additionally, he also appeared to write or draw in the air.

The same report claimed, that for over a week now, the Chinese police have put a clampdown on individuals accused of making “seditious” social media posts. One of the arrested individuals is Chow Hang-tung an activist a pro-democracy activist and an organizer of the annual Victoria Park event. As of now, Chow has served a 30-month sentence since 2021.

According to the historical record claimed in the VOA report, The Tiananmen Square crackdown occurred when government troops fired on student-led pro-democracy protestors on June 4. Hundreds, possibly thousands, died. And now the annual event observed for showing solidarity for the 1989 incident is no longer observed, the event’s organisers have disbanded and three of its leaders have been charged.

According to the VOA report, critics have stated that the end of the vigil has shown that the freedoms in Hong Kong have deteriorated since the British returned the former colony to Chinese rule in 1997. Beijing and Hong Kong have stated that the new law restored stability following anti-government protests in 2019.

Stephen Chow, Hong Kong’s Roman Catholic cardinal in an article published last week stated “Perhaps it is through forgiveness that all parties can escape the finger-pointing and the painful mindset of ‘I will never forgive,’” referencing to the same event of commemoration of the event.

Several others have communicated the same using coded and hidden references Several police officers spent an hour at an independent bookstore and recorded customer names after staff had put a coded reference to June 4, “5.35” on the window the same VOA report claimed. (ANI)

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Homeowners in Hong Kong are grappling with substantial losses at the beginning of the year as the city’s property prices have experienced a decline for eight consecutive months.

The real estate market has been smothered under a softening economy and high interest rates. The recent stock market slump has further dampened market sentiment, leading flat owners who want to cash in to slash prices to secure sales, property agents say.

One example is Mantin Heights in Ho Man Tin, where a three-bedroom, 865 sq ft flat recently sold for HK$15.85 million (US$2 million), equivalent to HK$18,324 per square foot. This price represents a significant drop of 38 per cent, or HK$9.62 million, from what the seller paid in September 2018. Property agent Centaline Property Agency facilitated the transaction.

In January, the secondary market saw 419 loss-making transactions, the highest since March 2023 and equal to 27.77 per cent of total second-hand transactions recorded for the month.

Additionally, 89 loss-making cases have been recorded so far this month, or 32.48 per cent of total secondary-market sales, according to Derek Chan, the head of research at property agent Ricacorp Properties.

“The Hang Seng Index once fell to below 15,000, and that hit market sentiment,” he said.

Home prices fell about 1.4 per cent in December, the eighth consecutive monthly decline, pulling the official index to a level last seen in January 2017, according to data compiled by the Rating and Valuation Department.

The decline in home prices has doubled the number of people in negative equity – where property value has slumped below their mortgage balance – to 25,163 cases valued at HK$131.3 billion at the end of December, compared with 11,123 cases worth HK$59.3 billion three months earlier.

However, Chan expects homeowners will be more reluctant to sell at big losses later this year as buyers gradually return to the market in anticipation of falling interest rates.

The number of property transactions, including both residential and non-residential units, surged 17 per cent in January to 4,399 deals from a month ago, hitting a post-August high, according to official data from the government’s Land Registry. The statistics generally relate to transactions executed up to four weeks before their submission for registration.

In the secondary market, home sales increased 23 per cent month on month in January, with 2,161 deals recorded, according to Ricacorp Properties.

The surge comes amid the US Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates steady on February 1, the fifth time since September, pushing back the timeline for rate cuts. (SCMP)

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A finance worker at a multinational firm was tricked into paying out $25 million to fraudsters using deepfake technology to pose as the company’s chief financial officer in a video conference call, according to Hong Kong police.

The elaborate scam saw the worker duped into attending a video call with what he thought were several other members of staff, but all of whom were in fact deepfake recreations, Hong Kong police said at a briefing on Friday.

“(In the) multi-person video conference, it turns out that everyone [he saw] was fake,” senior superintendent Baron Chan Shun-ching told the city’s public broadcaster RTHK.

Chan said the worker had grown suspicious after he received a message that was purportedly from the company’s UK-based chief financial officer. Initially, the worker suspected it was a phishing email, as it talked of the need for a secret transaction to be carried out.

However, the worker put aside his early doubts after the video call because other people in attendance had looked and sounded just like colleagues he recognized, Chan said.

Believing everyone else on the call was real, the worker agreed to remit a total of $200 million Hong Kong dollars – about $25.6 million, the police officer added.

The case is one of several recent episodes in which fraudsters are believed to have used deepfake technology to modify publicly available video and other footage to cheat people out of money.

At the press briefing Friday, Hong Kong police said they had made six arrests in connection with such scams.

Chan said that eight stolen Hong Kong identity cards – all of which had been reported as lost by their owners – were used to make 90 loan applications and 54 bank account registrations between July and September last year.

On at least 20 occasions, AI deepfakes had been used to trick facial recognition programs by imitating the people pictured on the identity cards, according to police.

The scam involving the fake CFO was only discovered when the employee later checked with the corporation’s head office.

Hong Kong police did not reveal the name or details of the company or the worker.

Authorities across the world are growing increasingly concerned at the sophistication of deepfake technology and the nefarious uses it can be put to.

At the end of January, pornographic, AI-generated images of the American pop star Taylor Swift spread across social media, underscoring the damaging potential posed by artificial intelligence technology.

The photos – which show the singer in sexually suggestive and explicit positions – were viewed tens of millions of times before being removed from social platforms. (CNN)

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Hong Kong police have offered million-dollar bounties for information leading to the arrest of five overseas-based activists, as part of a crackdown on dissent under a China-imposed national security law.

The move, which adds to a list of eight overseas activists deemed fugitives by authorities in July, triggered criticism from the US and UK governments.

The five are Simon Cheng, Frances Hui, Joey Siu, Johnny Fok and Tony Choi, who are now based in various countries including the US and UK.

Steve Li, an officer with the Hong Kong police’s national security department, said: “All of them who have already fled overseas have continued to commit offences under the national security law that seriously endangered national security.”

The five are accused of various offences under the security law, including incitement to secession and subversion, as well as collusion with foreign countries or external forces.

Police issued wanted notices and rewards of HK$1m (£100,000) for each of the five.

Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 after months of anti-government protests. The law punishes acts including subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorism with up to life in prison.

Siu, an activist based in Washington and a US citizen, said this was the first time an American citizen had been placed under such a warrant, and it “demonstrated the extraterritorial reach of the national security law and the chilling effect that follows”.

She said: “I think democratic countries, especially the US, need to take a lead on addressing such transnational repression harassment tactics against activists like me.”

Another activist shrugged off the move. Simon Cheng, who is now based in Britain, posted on X: “If the government deems the quest for democracy and freedom a crime, we embrace the charges to reveal the genuine face of social justice, unyielding to authority.”

The US state department said it strongly condemned the Hong Kong authorities’ actions and its “bounty list” targeting democracy activists overseas.

“That shows blatant disregard for international norms, for democracy and human rights,” the state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a regular news briefing on Thursday. “We deplore any attempt to apply the Beijing-imposed national security law extraterritorially and reiterate that Hong Kong authorities have no jurisdiction within United States borders, where the advocates for democracy and freedom will continue to enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights.”

The UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, said he had instructed officials in Hong Kong, Beijing and London to raise the issue as a matter of urgency with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.

“We will not tolerate any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK. This is a threat to our democracy and fundamental human rights,” Cameron said in a statement released by his office.

Hong Kong police also said they had arrested two men and two women aged between 29 and 68 for allegedly providing financial assistance to two wanted activists, Nathan Law and Ted Hui, via an online crowdfunding platform.

These were the first such arrests on financial assistance grounds under the security legislation. The offence carries a maximum jail term of 10 years.

Li said: “We paid particular attention to the essence of the wanted persons, and tried to break their chain of financing by all means.”

Another prominent activist, Agnes Chow, jumped bail and fled Hong Kong this month after what she called sustained pressure from authorities that had damaged her mental and physical health. Chow said she was forced to travel to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen where she was taken under police guard to a patriotic exhibition on China’s achievements, before authorities allowed her to travel to Canada for studies. (The Guardian)

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