The government says it is considering preserving the body of the whale found dead in waters off Sai Kung on Monday for scientific and educational purposes. Authorities expressed regret at the death of the huge animal, which is believed to have stayed in Hong Kong waters for more than two weeks. Conservationists said the whale's demise was a chance for Hong Kong people to reflect on co-existing with different species. Violet Wong reports:

A leading whale expert backs the government plan to study and preserve the dead whale, saying it is important to find out as much as possible about the animal that briefly lived in the waters around Sai Kung. Charles Anderson - a founding member of the Maldives Marine Research Institute - set up the Whale and Dolphin Company, which among other things is involved in whale and dolphin population studies and other cetacean research. He told Mike Weeks that he believed the whale was an Eden's whale:

The body of the whale has been towed to High Island Reservoir West Dam for a necropsy. After a preliminary examination on Monday night, a scientific officer from the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation said the giant animal had a new wound on its dorsal fin. Photos of the whale last week showed two deep but healing cuts on its back that may have been caused by a boat propeller. Taison Chang, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, told Anne Chan that the whale's death was likely caused by interactions with boats and people:

A mainland woman has been freed on bail after appearing in court charged with ill-treating or neglecting her son. As Frank Yung reports, she is alleged to have abandoned her boy at a public hospital in Yau Ma Tei:

An NGO says parents and schools should do more to encourage Hong Kong children and teenagers to do sport. The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong asked some 800 kids - aged between six and 17 - and found they were not doing enough sport, especially when compared to pre-pandemic levels. It said more than 70 percent failed to do 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day - the minimum amount recommended by the World Health Organisation. Billie Lau, the association's Executive Director, told Janice Wong that the respondents cited insufficient time and space, and no companion to train with:

A stage production group says the government's proposed regime to ensure safety at performances would make costs skyrocket, making it unbearable for smaller performing groups. As Damon Pang reports, they say it would also let people outside the trade govern it:

Official figures show Hong Kong's economic growth slowed by almost half in the second quarter from the first three months of this year. Violet Wong reports:

Advanced government estimates show the local economy grew 1.5 percent compared to the second quarter of last year, down from the revised 2.9 percent expansion in the first quarter. Simon Lee, a senior lecturer at Chinese University Business School, told Frank Yung that he was shocked by the lower-than-expected GDP figure:

The government is considering the idea of pre-selling industrial and IT plots in the New Territories to try to speed up development of the Northern Metropolis. This was revealed by the Secretary for Development in an interview with a local newspaper, as Damon Pang reports:

The head of valuation and advisory at Colliers Hong Kong says developers should welcome the government's bid to pre-sell industrial and IT plots in the Northern Metropolis as long as they are allowed to pay the land premium in stages, instead of in full within 28 days. Hannah Jeong also told Samantha Butler that pre-selling plots of land would give developers more clarity about government plans, saving them time and allowing them to have higher investment returns:

Manufacturing activity on the mainland has fallen for the fourth straight month, although this month's reading is slightly better than the figure for June. Nevertheless, analysts are warning that China could miss its five-percent growth target if the economy loses any more momentum, as Anne Chan reports:

China's top economic planning body has unveiled a raft of measures to boost consumption in the automobile, real estate and tourism industries. The National Development and Reform Commission said local officials should ease restrictions on car purchases to stimulate spending on new energy vehicles and improve the infrastructure for charging. It also called for an expansion in the supply of affordable rental housing, and for local authorities to cut admission fees for tourist attractions and extend opening hours of museums. But Liu Baocheng, founder of the Centre for International Business Ethics at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, told Kelly Yu that more needed to be done to restore consumer confidence:

Fans from around the world have gathered in Hong Kong to pay their final respects to singer Coco Lee. Hundreds queued outside the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point to bid farewell to the beloved singer, who will be laid to rest on Tuesday. Elvis Yu reports: