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Police report two murder cases: In a unit on the 10th floor of Cheung Fai Building, 22 Tong Mi Road, Mong Kok, a man was attacked with scissors, severely injured and unconscious, and later died after being sent to the hospital. Two suspects have been arrested. The alleged attacker is said to be a friend of the deceased, and the motive is still under investigation. Also, early this morning, a man in his 40s was found lying outside the bathroom in a unit on the 3rd floor of Butterfly Dancing House, Butterfly Estate. Blood, signs of a struggle, and ransacking were found at the scene. It is preliminarily determined to be a body discovery case, and the deceased lived alone.

The Observatory stated that the low-pressure area in the south-central part of the South China Sea has strengthened into a tropical depression. It is expected to enter within 800 kilometers of Hong Kong later on Wednesday (July 1). The Observatory will issue the Standby Signal No. 1 on Thursday morning (July 2).
The Observatory predicts that the tropical cyclone will generally move towards the area of Hainan Island to the Beibu Gulf on Thursday and Friday (July 2-3), maintaining a distance of 400 kilometers or more from Hong Kong. Winds in Hong Kong will strengthen on Friday, with weather gradually becoming unstable, swelling seas, and increasing squally showers and thunderstorms, with heavier rain in some areas. Due to terrain effects, some high ground may experience brief gale-force winds.
The Observatory also stated that as the tropical cyclone makes landfall on the western coast of southern China over the weekend, Hong Kong's weather will gradually become dominated by an active southerly airflow. Winds will remain quite strong, with intermittent showers, squalls, and thunderstorms. The public is reminded to stay updated on the latest weather information, and if engaging in outdoor activities, especially water sports, to always be aware of weather changes and pay attention to safety.

AI is changing the way footwear and clothing are tried on. Aetrex uses 3D foot scanning, pressure analysis, and AI recommendations, with Zoe as a virtual store clerk; the Albert Pro is high-end but higher priced, with a new generation in 2027. Volumental, SafeSize, and Shuangchi Technology also use AI to customize footwear. In clothing, UNIQLO MySize ASSIST, Walmart Be Your Own Model, and Google Live Try-On offer virtual try-ons, reducing returns and increasing engagement.

The Legislative Council collected opinions on ride-hailing regulations and decided to use a cap of 10k licenses as a cautious basis, and will dynamically review whether to adjust it in the future based on data.
Nearly 70% of the public believe the cap is insufficient, suggesting an increase to 15k to 50k or removal of the cap; others advocate granting licenses only to existing taxi drivers.
Uber advocates raising the cap, while Didi starts at 10k and observes the market.
The authorities stated they will dynamically assess based on platform data and maintain the regulation that licenses are renewed only after completing designated trips, preserving capacity flexibility.

Mainland auto companies’ new energy vehicle deliveries generally strengthened in June. BYD reached 403,472 units, up more than 5% both year-on-year and month-on-month. Geely’s new energy vehicle sales were 161,449 units, up about 32% year-on-year and more than 21% month-on-month. Leapmotor delivered 93,376 units, up more than 94% year-on-year and more than 14% month-on-month. NIO delivered 40,597 units in June, up 7.67% month-on-month and 62.88% year-on-year; XPeng delivered 40,126 units, up 24.78% month-on-month and 15.93% year-on-year; Li Auto delivered 30,895 units, down 7.36% month-on-month and down 14.84% year-on-year. Xiaomi Auto delivered over 30,000 vehicles in June, with month-on-month deliveries staying stable, up 20% year-on-year.

The Japanese government has agreed to change Tokyo's accommodation tax from a fixed amount to a 3% levy on accommodation costs, raising the tax exemption threshold to 13k yen. Using a room rate of 15k yen as an example, the tax would be 450 yen, an increase of 250 yen from the current system. The reform will be implemented in phases starting from 2027, with Nago City imposing the tax in February, Wakkanai City in March, Kitahiroshima City adjusting in October, and Tokyo and four other cities implementing it simultaneously in April, with Tokyo expected to generate an additional 19 billion yen annually.

Raythink Technology will offer shares from June 29 to July 3, list on July 8, issuing 28.08 million H-shares, with 5% for public offering, priced at 21.66 yuan, raising nearly 610 million yuan; as of June 30, margin financing was 5.15 billion yuan, with public offering oversubscribed by 168.4 times. Its proprietary visual large model and other technologies cover civil aviation, commercial spaces, and safe driving; last year's revenue was 440 million yuan, up 12.1%, but the loss attributable to shareholders was 67.22 million yuan; no cornerstone investors were set. The proceeds will be used for R&D, factory construction, marketing, and general purposes, with a clawback mechanism in place.

Police announced that a 19-year-old man is suspected of impersonating mainland law enforcement officers and using methods such as signing confidentiality agreements and paying deposits to commit fraud, with the amount involved reaching up to 8.2 million Hong Kong dollars.
There are also four female victims aged 67 to 74 who did not report to the police, and the police intercepted approximately 630k Hong Kong dollars in criminal gains.
The man will be charged with conspiracy to defraud and will appear in Fanling Magistrates' Courts tomorrow.
The police reiterated that citizens should not trust people who claim to be officials and should follow the three 'no' principles: do not answer suspicious calls, do not trust the other party, and do not transfer money; if in doubt, call 18222.

The 12 candidates for Miss Hong Kong 2026 have completed a week of on-location filming in Hengyang, Hunan, and returned to Hong Kong. Three senior sisters presented gifts and shared their insights with each group: De De’s team gifted “De De bags” containing Vitamin C, de-puffing tea, and dark chocolate, reminding them to stay healthy; Ying Ying’s team gave electric mosquito repellents, with Etherine and Cecilia serving as the Blood Knight and the Blood Guardian to help keep mosquitoes and other insects away; Carmaney’s team gifted lucky charm pendants and also took on the role of spiritual mentor, teaching stage tips to help the junior sisters confidently showcase themselves.

Wang Yi and Rubio reaffirmed in their phone call the need to handle the Taiwan issue with caution, as it affects the overall situation. Both sides reiterated the importance of building a constructive and strategically stable relationship, adhering to equality and mutual benefit, translating the consensus of the heads of state into concrete measures, lengthening the list of cooperation, and compressing the list of risks. Both sides agreed to continue flexible communication and jointly advance their efforts. Additionally, the U.S. plans to ban Chinese solar inverters; China stated its opposition to sweeping generalizations and demanded a fair business environment.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and China’s Foreign Minister, spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio. He specifically mentioned that the Taiwan issue affects the overall situation, and he hopes the U.S. side will handle Taiwan-related affairs with the utmost care.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Wang Yi spoke with Rubio by phone on June 30. He said that in May this year, President Xi Jinping and President Trump reached a series of important consensuses in Beijing on building a “China-U.S. constructive strategic stability relationship,” among other things, which provide strategic guidance and clarify the development direction for China-U.S. relations for the next 3 years and even longer. He emphasized that building a constructive strategic stability relationship is what both peoples of the two countries aspire to, what the international community hopes for, and what the fundamental interests of both China and the United States depend on. Both sides should rule out interference, overcome obstacles, and firmly continue down this correct path.
Wang Yi said that both sides should always adhere to the spirit of equality, mutual respect, and reciprocity, and turn the important consensuses reached by the two heads of state into specific policies and practical measures.
He also mentioned that building a constructive strategic stability relationship

Meta plans to sell its idle computing power and model access from its own AI infrastructure to external customers, launching a new competition with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and others, and even considering offering it as hosted or native computing power. Its cloud business is viewed as a way to recoup large investments and increase revenue, and the market has already reacted: CoreWeave, Nebius, and Micron shares fell, along with others, while Meta’s rose. Zuckerberg said that if there is excess computing capacity, selling it will become an option for expanding infrastructure.

Federal Reserve Chairman Powell delivered a speech at the European Central Bank forum, during which he mentioned that the Fed will embark on a new policy path to determine better policies, but emphasized that it will not provide any forward guidance, and expects fierce internal policy divergence at the July Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.
The so-called “small non-farm” US June ADP employment increased by 98,000, below the expected 118,000, while the May figure remained at 122,000.
Data from the human resources firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas showed that the number of layoffs announced by US companies in June fell 53% month-on-month to 45,849, year-on-year
Market sources say that the US and Iran are holding indirect technical talks in Doha, Qatar, with Qatar and Pakistan serving as mediators, and that the two sides will not meet directly. International oil prices continue to decline, with New York crude oil down 0.9%, at $68 per barrel.

Federal Reserve Chairman Warsh delivered a speech at the European Central Bank forum, during which he said that the Federal Reserve will begin a new policy path to determine better policies, but stressed that it will not provide any forward guidance. He also expects fierce internal policy disagreements at the July meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).
The U.S. June ADP employment report—commonly known as the “small non-farm”—increased by 98,000, falling short of the expected 118,000. The May figure remained at 122,000.
Data from the human resources firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas show that the number of layoffs announced by U.S. companies in June fell 53% month-over-month to 45,849, and declined year-over-year.
Market news indicates that the United States and Iran are holding indirect technical talks in Doha, Qatar. Qatar and Pakistan are acting as mediators, and the two sides will not meet directly. International oil prices continue to decline, with New York crude oil futures down 0.9%, trading at $68 per barrel.

Wong Kam-fai was arrested for drunk driving, triggering the Legislative Council’s five-tier misconduct disciplinary mechanism. In a previous case, Chan Ka-pui’s driving against the flow of traffic led to a written warning, a fine of 2,000 yuan, and a one-month suspension. Under levels 3 to 5, measures may include reprimand, censure, or suspension of duties, together with deductions from members’ salaries and allowances. Several lawmakers believe Wong’s offense is more serious than Chan Ka-pui’s and that he failed to proactively make a declaration; the final decision is pending the outcome of the conviction. Under Article 79 of the Basic Law, if sentenced to more than one month, removal of a member’s status requires approval by two-thirds of attending members. Whether this month’s study tour and inspection in Beijing will be able to proceed is yet to be assessed.

The Taiwan Stock Exchange is considering extending trading hours by 1 to 1.5 hours; the close could move from 1:30 to 3:30, marking a major change since 2001. The focus of the extension is to strengthen linkage with U.S. stocks, make it more convenient for international investors, and maintain continuous single-session trading while ensuring the capacity of its IT systems. The Financial Supervisory Commission said the industry must align with international standards through non-blind imitation and that it requires social consensus; the exchange has already proposed multiple plans. In the first half of the year, securities transaction tax reached 3,300 billion yuan; extending hours may increase trading and tax revenue.

This article focuses on MPF investment strategies and presents five key points: diversified allocation, smart selection of Asian and global stocks, staged reductions of U.S. and Japanese equities, keeping an eye on the valuation and policy risks of Hong Kong stocks, and diversifying risk with a low-cost DIS strategy, aiming to seek stable returns amid fluctuations in U.S. and Japanese equities.
Abstract: This article offers MPF investors five practical tips: diversify across assets, selectively overweight Asian and global stocks, phase reductions in U.S. and Japanese equities, monitor Hong Kong valuations and policy risks, and use low-cost DIS strategies to diversify risk, aiming for steady returns amid rate moves and market volatility.

Election Committee constituency lawmaker Huang Jin-hui was arrested for four offenses including drunk driving. This evening, he apologized on a social media platform, saying the case has been handed to the police and relevant departments for investigation, and that he will fully cooperate. He also said the incident is related to a traffic incident on the campus of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and has been handed to his lawyer for handling while the police follow up; he will not respond for the time being. The Chinese University said it is aware that a faculty member was arrested, but will not comment for now due to the police investigation.