Construction Regulation: Hong Kong lawmakers passed amendments banning smoking at all construction sites from 17 July 2026, with fixed penalties of HK$3,000 and higher fines for contractors/subcontractors who fail to take “all reasonable steps.” Ride-hailing Licensing: Transport minister Mable Chan says ride-hailing platforms will be invited to apply for licences in August, with first batch approvals expected from end-November and full enforcement from 22 Aug next year. Cybersecurity & Finance Tech: Researchers say a China-linked intrusion campaign used Claude Code and DeepSeek to automate bypasses and phishing, with Hong Kong-based servers found. Separately, AMINA Bank says it became the first FINMA-regulated bank to integrate Mesh for streamlined stablecoin deposits. AI Capital Markets: DeepSeek is planning a new fundraising round at about US$74bn valuation and is exploring a mainland STAR Market IPO. Semiconductors & Supply Chain: TSMC says it will add another US$100bn to expand US manufacturing capacity, lifting its total US pledge to US$265bn, as AI chip demand stays hot. Tourism: HKTB reports 26.71m visitors in H1 2026 (+13% YoY), with Mainland arrivals up 13%. Agriculture & Trade: China’s chicken exports jumped 51% in early 2026, while China remains Cambodia’s top trading partner with H1 trade surging past US$11bn. Payments: iFAST Global Bank expanded Worldwide Scan & Pay to China via Alipay+ with a limited-time 1% cashback. IPO Watch: Syngenta’s HK$5bn IPO is delayed to 2027 amid agriculture-sector uncertainty.