A leading business indicator for small-and-medium-sized enterprises has seen its largest-ever jump in confidence, on rising optimism over the easing of social distancing measures and another handout of consumption vouchers. But its compiler - the Productivity Council - warns that tough cross-border restrictions are still weighing on Hong Kong's SMEs, as Frank Yung reports:

Health authorities say they have recorded 3,975 new local Covid cases, along with 301 imported infections, with the Hospital Authority warning of a rise in the number of infected people dying at home. Wendy Wong reports:

Officials say the government is preparing to open more isolation facilities as Covid cases continue to rise. They say hundreds more quarantine rooms are ready for use. Vanessa Cheng reports:

A representative of the taxi trade says more publicity may be needed for a new service that allows designated drivers to take people arriving at the airport to their quarantine hotels. It seems most travellers are happy to wait for the free buses to the hotels where they will be isolated for a week. Maggie Ho reports:

The government has been urged to introduce special cross-border arrangements for Hongkongers who will study on the mainland after the summer holiday. The call was made by the DAB party, which said it recently received over 100 inquiries on the issue. Kelly Yu reports:

Bus operators, power companies and green groups have joined forces to urge the government to speed up the replacement of diesel buses with ones that run on cleaner energy. The Zero Emissions Mobility Consortium says concrete action is urgently needed to tackle dangerous levels of roadside air pollution in Hong Kong as well as the climate crisis. Natale Ching reports:

A member of the Zero Emissions Mobility Consortium says Hong Kong has made good progress in reducing carbon emissions in the electricity generation sector. But in the second-largest carbon emitting sector of transportation, there was no roadmap detailing how to achieve the government's net-zero target by 2050. Evan Auyang, who chairs the think tank, Civic Exchange, told Samantha Butler that time was short if bus companies had to upgrade their fleets, and make large infrastructure changes to provide battery-charging and hydrogen-fueling at bus stations:

Labour unions have called on the government to introduce laws to protect workers from heat stroke, as periods of very hot weather increase in frequency and length. The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions' Occupational Safety and Health Association said employers should provide rest breaks for those who need to work when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force, and halt operations during extreme heat waves. The association's vice-chairperson Ip Wai-ming told Kelly Yu that officials should do more to protect workers from the sweltering heat:

A senior government agricultural officer says hydroponics offer the answer to the crop damage Hong Kong has experienced during recent hot weather. Lee Yiu-yiu, from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, says the indoor controlled environments used in hydroponic cultivation can stabilise production. He told Tina Lo that watercress, purple pak choi seedling, and calendula are suitable for local hydroponic farms:

At the start of the month, President Xi Jinping reminded Hong Kong about the importance of creating more business opportunities for the city’s young talent, especially by leveraging on the SAR’s ever-increasing ties with the mainland. In his speech marking the SAR’s 25th birthday, the president also praised the city’s burgeoning innovation and technology sector, and underlined his commitment to the industry with a rare visit to Hong Kong Science Park. In the past few years, many young entrepreneurs have already been taking advantage of Hong Kong’s growing integration with the Greater Bay Area by expanding their operations on both sides of the border. As Wendy Wong reports, they are confident that Hong Kong has everything it needs to fulfill its potential to grow into an international tech and innovation centre:

Beijing has warned against any military moves by Taiwan, after the island simulated intercepting attacks from the sea during a drill. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian likened a Taiwanese attempt to confront the Chinese military to an insect trying to obstruct a chariot. Aaron Tam reports:

President Xi Jinping has formally been invited to the Group of 20 summit in Bali this fall. Indonesian president Joko Widodo extended the invitation to Xi during a meeting between the two in Beijing, where they discussed issues ranging from trade to maritime cooperation. Aaron Tam reports:

Alibaba has announced that it will apply to upgrade from a secondary to a primary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The mainland company listed in New York in 2014, in what was at the time the largest IPO in history, and completed a secondary dual listing in Hong Kong in November 2019. Andrew Chworowsky reports:

Chief Executive John Lee, a judge at the Court of Final Appeal, Tokyo Olympic medal-winning athletes and broadcasting legend Uncle Ray are among those honoured for their service over the past year by former chief executive Carrie Lam. More than half of the record 890 awards go to people involved in the fight against the pandemic. Mike Weeks reports:

Retired RTHK DJ, Ray Cordeiro - also known as Uncle Ray - is to be given the Silver Bauhinia Star for promoting local pop music and providing entertainment to the community in a career spanning 70 years. He told Wendy Wong he was happy to receive an award for his long service: