A curtain-raiser for the coming Legislative Council election and a bid by US regulators to expel HKT International from the country’s telecoms network led the news in Hong Kong this week. You can read more about these stories and find out what else we covered below.

In today’s edition:

• Lawmaker farewells

   

• US targets HKT

   

• Flu cases surge

Lawmaker farewells

A wave of incumbent lawmakers announcing they will not seek re-election when their term ends grabbed Hongkongers’ attention this week. As of Thursday, 15 of the city’s 89 lawmakers had indicated their plan to bow out, with eight of them aged 70 or above, fuelling speculation that a Beijing-favoured age limit is being imposed.

Chief Executive John Lee also held a high-level seminar laying out his expectations for the new members of the Legislative Council to be returned in the December 7 race, the second since Beijing overhauled the electoral system to ensure only “patriots” held power.

US targets HKT

The US Federal Communications Commission dropped a bombshell by saying it had sent what it called the “Communist Party-controlled” HKT International an order to justify why it should not be barred from providing international and domestic services to and from America.

The move prompted a strong rebuke from local authorities, who slammed Washington for “overstretching the concept of national security”.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan, meanwhile, embarked on a trip to the US where he called on American businesses to invest in Hong Kong amid a possible re-escalation of the trade war.

Flu cases surge

Health experts also warned that the current flu season was much more active than last winter’s and urged schools and parents to bring forward vaccination appointments for children.

Their calls came after Hong Kong recorded its first paediatric flu-related death of 2025 on Sunday, when a 13-year-old girl who had not been vaccinated this year died. 

You can read these stories and more at SCMP.com, and be sure to check out our video-led #852 series to learn more about this city we call home.

Enjoy the weekend.

Politics

• No Exco changes despite veteran Hong Kong lawmakers stepping down: John Lee

   

• Hong Kong lawmakers gave nod to all government funding requests in 4-year term

   

• No evidence talent abused schemes to give birth in Hong Kong: labour chief

   

• Hong Kong leader’s secretary to take over scandal-hit logistics department

   

• Deputy director of Beijing office overseeing Hong Kong meets media delegation

Society

• Hong Kong can expect fewer but stronger typhoons in the future: expert

   

• National Games torch relay in Hong Kong to highlight city’s culture: John Lee

   

• Some pet toys in Hong Kong have chemicals that can cause allergies: watchdog

   

• Missing Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong found, refuse to say where they hid

   

• Hong Kong