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Search under way for 68‑year‑old man missing since Friday in Hong Kong
WorldSCMP7h ago

Search under way for 68‑year‑old man missing since Friday in Hong Kong

Hong Kong authorities were searching on Sunday for a 68‑year‑old man who has been missing for two days after leaving his home in Tai Po. Lau Kin‑pong left his residence at Wan Tau Tong Estate at around 3pm on Friday. His family became unable to contact him and filed a missing‑person report on Saturday. He was last seen that afternoon on Shan Tong Road in Tai Po. Lau is described as about 1.7 metres tall (5 feet, 7 inches), weighing 60kg (132lbs), of thin build with short white hair. He was la...

Beijing first stop as Cathay launches global drive to hire 3,000 workers
BusinessSCMP1d ago

Beijing first stop as Cathay launches global drive to hire 3,000 workers

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways plans to hire 3,000 employees globally this year, including pilots and flight attendants, to support its growth plan, with the airline expressing strong confidence in its future expansion potential. The carrier launched its global recruitment drive in Beijing on Saturday as part of efforts to attract more talent from mainland China to support its future development plans, including promoting inbound tourism. Currently, the company has more than...

Elderly man dies after being hit by taxi in Kwun Tong
WorldSCMP1d ago

Elderly man dies after being hit by taxi in Kwun Tong

An elderly pedestrian has died after being hit by a taxi in Kwun Tong, according to Hong Kong police. The accident took place shortly before 10pm on Friday when the 75-year-old man was crossing the road near the junction of Hip Wo Street and Yuet Wah Street in downtown Kwun Tong. The taxi, travelling along Hip Wo Street towards Sau Mau Ping, ran into the man, causing him to crash onto the bonnet before falling to the ground, according to local media reports. He sustained a serious head injury...

21 hurt in 4-vehicle crash on Hong Kong’s Yuen Long Highway
WorldSCMP2d ago

21 hurt in 4-vehicle crash on Hong Kong’s Yuen Long Highway

Twenty-one people have been injured in a crash involving two buses, a truck and a car on Yuen Long Highway in Hong Kong. Police said on Friday that the force was alerted to the traffic accident at 6.35pm. As of 8pm, 12 women and nine men had suffered minor injuries, police said. The Transport Department said at around 8pm that sections of Tuen Mun-bound lanes on the highway near Pok Oi Hospital were closed to all traffic due to the accident. A slip road from the highway to Shap Pat Heung...

Impact report for border crossing revamp approved despite concerns for temple
CultureSCMP3d ago

Impact report for border crossing revamp approved despite concerns for temple

Heritage advisers have approved an impact report for the redevelopment of Hong Kong’s Sha Tau Kok border checkpoint despite concerns that construction could affect a nearby historic temple holding monument status. At a meeting on Thursday, members of the Antiquities Advisory Board gave the green light to the heritage impact assessment for the project and its associated works. The project will involve demolishing the existing control point facility and constructing two major buildings connecte...

CATL profit jump fuels Hong Kong battery stocks amid global energy storage boom
BusinessSCMP4d ago

CATL profit jump fuels Hong Kong battery stocks amid global energy storage boom

Betting on rising global demand for energy storage, shares of Chinese lithium battery makers continued to rally on Wednesday, led by Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), which reported stronger-than-expected growth driven in part by its expansion into new energy storage markets. CATL shares surged more than 10 per cent to HK$608 during morning trading hours in Hong Kong on Wednesday – the highest level in five months – before closing 9 per cent higher at HK$599.50. That followed anothe...

11 domestic helpers among 20 arrested in Hong Kong crackdown on illegal labour
BusinessSCMP5d ago

11 domestic helpers among 20 arrested in Hong Kong crackdown on illegal labour

Hong Kong authorities have arrested 20 people, including domestic helpers suspected of unlawfully providing services such as massages and manicures, in a crackdown on illegal labour. The Immigration Department said that it conducted a three-day operation across the city between Sunday and Tuesday, searching 19 target locations, including restaurants, care homes, hotels, commercial and industrial buildings and public places. Officers arrested 20 people, including 14 suspected illegal workers o...

HSBC phases out work-from-home flexibility for frontline staff in Hong Kong
BusinessSCMP5d ago

HSBC phases out work-from-home flexibility for frontline staff in Hong Kong

HSBC Holdings is phasing out its remote-work flexibility as it tightens its post-pandemic policy in Hong Kong, requiring frontline employees to be in the office or meet clients five days a week. In an internal memo seen by the South China Morning Post, the city’s largest bank asked client-facing staff, including traders and salespeople, to follow the new rules from April 1. Managing directors and senior managers with direct reports must attend the office at least four days a week, while all...

Hong Kong woman, 21, charged over 2019 protests after returning from Australia
Politicshk-free-press5d ago

Hong Kong woman, 21, charged over 2019 protests after returning from Australia

A Hong Kong woman is facing charges stemming from the 2019 protests and unrest after returning from Australia – more than six years after her alleged offence took place. Ami Chan, 21, appeared in the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Monday to face one count of “possession of an offensive weapon in public” and another of […]

Hongkonger forks out HK$11,000 to flee Dubai after 8 failed attempts
WorldSCMP6d ago

Hongkonger forks out HK$11,000 to flee Dubai after 8 failed attempts

Hongkonger Shirley Sung finally returned home on Sunday after being stranded in Dubai for a week and making eight failed attempts to secure a flight, ultimately paying HK$11,000 (US$1,406) to escape the Middle East conflict via Kuala Lumpur. The 30-year-old solo traveller, who had flown to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a wedding, found herself in a tense situation as she witnessed missile interceptions and sought shelter in a hotel car park during Tehran’s retaliatory attacks amid US-Isr...

Beijing’s message is clear: Hong Kong must shape up and speed up
PoliticsSCMP6d ago

Beijing’s message is clear: Hong Kong must shape up and speed up

The annual “two sessions” in Beijing are under way, and this year the annual ritual of reading tea leaves in this city has been made easier for politics watchers. That is because Beijing has been blunt about the problems it thinks our city faces. There is the usual praise for the Hong Kong government and Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s leadership. One striking difference is that Premier Li Qiang included in his annual work report, delivered at the opening session of the National People’s...

Damp days ahead in Hong Kong, with 95% humidity expected in midweek
EnvironmentSCMP12h ago

Damp days ahead in Hong Kong, with 95% humidity expected in midweek

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong faces a damp week ahead as humidity is expected to peak at 95 per cent with the arrival of a seasonal coastal mist from Wednesday, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Observatory said on Sunday daytime temperatures would climb to 26 degrees Celsius (79 Fahrenheit) in the middle of the week, with significantly more humid air arriving i...

Terrorism threat in Hong Kong ‘moderate’ amid Middle East war: security chief
WorldSCMP14h ago

Terrorism threat in Hong Kong ‘moderate’ amid Middle East war: security chief

Hong Kong’s terrorism threat level remains moderate amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the city’s security chief has said, urging residents to stay vigilant in the globally connected city. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Sunday there was no intelligence suggesting an imminent attack, but Hong Kong needed to “be prepared”, urging the public to report anything suspicious to police. “The Russia-Ukraine war is not over, and there is conflict in the Middle East,”...

Japan hotels keep luring Hong Kong families, global investors despite geopolitical strains
BusinessSCMP18h ago

Japan hotels keep luring Hong Kong families, global investors despite geopolitical strains

For Hong Kong’s Topaz Family Office, investing in hotels in Japan holds up as a sound decision even as a Middle East war clouds the macroeconomic environment. The wealth manager has made Japan a central plank of its pivot into hospitality and real estate over the past two years, driven by a sharp post-pandemic tourism rebound. The investment thesis now looks increasingly robust thanks to multiple structural tailwinds and a growing pool of institutional capital flowing into the same trade. “Ja...

2 monks brawl during temple ceremony in Hong Kong, leaving 1 injured
CultureSCMP1d ago

2 monks brawl during temple ceremony in Hong Kong, leaving 1 injured

Two monks have clashed during a religious ceremony at a historical Buddhist monastery in Hong Kong, leaving one injured and the other in police custody. Police officers were called to Chuk Lam Sim Yuen in Tsuen Wan at around 9.40am on Saturday after a report about a fight involving two monks, a force spokesman said. Preliminary investigations revealed the two monks, aged 51 and 57, were attending a ceremony at the monastery when they got into a quarrel over queuing, which escalated into a...

Hong Kong's AI Development Roadmap and Challenges
TechnologySCMP1d ago

Hong Kong's AI Development Roadmap and Challenges

Hong Kong is grappling with its strategy to become a leader in artificial intelligence, facing questions about its roadmap and the necessary guardrails for the burgeoning technology sector. The city aims to foster innovation while addressing the challenges of a competitive global AI landscape.

Hong Kong insider trading arrests send strong message on market integrity
BusinessbloombergSCMPobservador+3dnevnik-bgTimes of Indiahk-free-press2d ago6 sources

Hong Kong insider trading arrests send strong message on market integrity

Hong Kong’s anti-graft watchdog and financial regulator have arrested eight people and raided three firms over suspected insider dealing and corruption worth HK$315 million in illicit profits. These arrests underscore the city's commitment to upholding stock market integrity amid a surge in new listings and share placements.

2 arrested in raid on Hong Kong syndicate accused of laundering HK$4.7 billion
BusinessSCMP3d ago

2 arrested in raid on Hong Kong syndicate accused of laundering HK$4.7 billion

Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two men in a crackdown on a syndicate accused of laundering HK$4.7 billion (US$600.54 million) in criminal proceeds over four years and running a drug business. Investigators from customs’ financial investigation bureau said on Thursday the group operated through two companies, receiving large sums of unexplained funds and channelling them through more than 2,100 transactions. The money‑laundering tactics involved shell companies, frequent transfers an...

Hong Kong export credit insurer keeps premiums low despite Middle East tensions
BusinessSCMP3d ago

Hong Kong export credit insurer keeps premiums low despite Middle East tensions

Hong Kong’s export credit insurer is keeping premiums low and expanding support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), even as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raise concerns about risks to global trade. Unlike the typical trade credit insurance model – where insurers raise premiums when geopolitical risks increase – the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation (HKECIC) said it had continued offering concessions to exporters to help them weather uncertainty. “In the...

Late superstar Leslie Cheung to add magic to Hong Kong’s Pop Culture Festival
CultureSCMP4d ago

Late superstar Leslie Cheung to add magic to Hong Kong’s Pop Culture Festival

A newly restored 4K film featuring the late Hong Kong superstar Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing will be part of this year’s Pop Culture Festival, but the government expects a 25 per cent drop in attendance over last year due to a shorter programme. Pat Wong Kit-yi, a chief manager at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, said on Wednesday the festival welcomed 800,000 visitors in 2025, but this year 600,000 were expected to attend. “We’ve condensed the festival by a month, lasting from April ...

Proposed 33% rise in MPF payments ‘may deepen business pressures, hit jobs’
BusinessSCMP6d ago

Proposed 33% rise in MPF payments ‘may deepen business pressures, hit jobs’

Proposals by Hong Kong’s pension regulator to increase Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions for higher-paid workers by up to 33 per cent could worsen business challenges and hurt the jobs market, a lawmaker and human resources expert have warned. A labour representative, however, urged the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) to pursue even bolder increases to meet statutory requirements and reflect rising salaries. The MPFA had announced that it was reviewing the maximum...

Hong Kong woman faces 2019 protest charges after returning from Australia
PoliticsSCMP6d ago

Hong Kong woman faces 2019 protest charges after returning from Australia

A Hong Kong woman who returned from Australia has been charged with carrying two laser pointers and three bottles of spray paint for illegal purposes during the 2019 anti-government protests. Ami Chan Hui-ching, 21, was escorted to Eastern Court on Monday to face charges of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and possessing an article with intent to destroy or damage property. Chan, who reportedly works as a cashier at a casino, was intercepted on a section of Oil Street between...

Rahm claims LIV Golf title in Hong Kong
SportBBC7d ago

Rahm claims LIV Golf title in Hong Kong

Jon Rahm produces a final round 64 to claim victory at the LIV Golf event in Hong Kong as he beats Thomas Detry - one of the players he helped leave the Middle East - to the title.

Paul Chan must deliver the fiscal discipline Hong Kong needs
PoliticsSCMP8d ago

Paul Chan must deliver the fiscal discipline Hong Kong needs

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po delivered his latest budget on February 25. Over the past decade, under his stewardship, Hong Kong has weathered multiple economic shocks and recently returned to a respectable growth rate of 3.5 per cent. Yet the tasks ahead are formidable: addressing a structural fiscal deficit in the city’s capital account while ensuring sufficient resources for future growth, all against an increasingly volatile and dangerous global backdrop. Article 107 of Hong Kong’s...

Over 300 Wang Fuk Court homeowners to petition Hong Kong’s John Lee for meeting
WorldSCMP7h ago

Over 300 Wang Fuk Court homeowners to petition Hong Kong’s John Lee for meeting

More than 300 homeowners from the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po have signed a petition to be sent to Hong Kong’s leader, demanding a face-to-face meeting with government-appointed Hop On Management Company over unresolved issues. The letter to the Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, obtained by the South China Morning Post on Sunday, bore 336 signatures – or 15 per cent of homeowners – who raised concerns in seven areas. These include the use of remaining renovation funds, the handling ...

Hong Kong to replace, not punish, underperforming Medical Council members
HealthSCMP11h ago

Hong Kong to replace, not punish, underperforming Medical Council members

Hong Kong authorities have proposed replacing, rather than punishing, Medical Council members who underperform, after public outcry over a 15-year delay in an alleged medical blunder inquiry. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also said the government had no plans to impose rigid deadlines for each stage of complaint handling by the quasi-judicial body, saying the requirement was “asking the impossible” and the council would “be required to” set time frames on their own. The ombudsman previous...

Former Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip swaps policy for photo cards at ComplexCon
PoliticsSCMP3d ago

Former Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip swaps policy for photo cards at ComplexCon

Former Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee will hold a fan meet-and-greet at this year’s ComplexCon in the city, underscoring the senior government adviser’s enduring online popularity since ending her 17-year tenure in the Legislative Council. Seventy-five-year-old Ip, convenor of the government’s top decision-making Executive Council, will join guests including Jennie from K-pop group Blackpink, American rapper Yeat and Korean R&B singer Crush at the two-day event later this month. The...

Hong Kong’s MTR Corp net profit falls 6.9% amid weaker mainland China revenue
BusinessSCMP3d ago

Hong Kong’s MTR Corp net profit falls 6.9% amid weaker mainland China revenue

Hong Kong rail giant MTR Corporation’s net profit dropped 6.9 per cent to HK$14.68 billion (US$1.88 billion) last year, from HK$15.77 billion in 2024, as higher depreciation costs and weaker revenue from its mainland China operations weighed on earnings. The corporation recorded a property development profit of HK$11.08 billion last year, up from HK$10.27 billion in 2024, with income generated from projects including The Southside, Lohas Park and Ho Man Tin Station. However, the corporation...

Hong Kong tycoon urges prudent approach to development amid global uncertainty
BusinessSCMP4d ago

Hong Kong tycoon urges prudent approach to development amid global uncertainty

A Hong Kong property tycoon has called for a more prudent approach to the city’s development rather than accelerating projects amid global uncertainties, saying the industry’s willingness to invest in the Northern Metropolis hinges on the health of the market. Far East Consortium chairman David Chiu Tat-cheong also described the megaproject’s new land disposal approach – which requires winning bidders to handle multiple developments on a large plot – as good intentions with unintended negativ...

Fears over Exchange Fund discipline overblown: Hong Kong’s dollar peg architect
FinanceSCMP6d ago

Fears over Exchange Fund discipline overblown: Hong Kong’s dollar peg architect

Hong Kong has adequate safeguards to prevent any misuse of the Exchange Fund, according to the economist known as the “father of the city’s dollar peg”, who called concerns over the government’s decision to draw from the de facto sovereign wealth fund “a little overblown”. John Greenwood said the government’s plan to transfer HK$150 billion (US$19.1 billion) from the fund – which plays an essential role in defending the Hong Kong dollar’s peg to the US dollar – would have no effect on the...

Hong Kong considers raising MPF contributions after 13-year freeze on thresholds
BusinessSCMP7d ago

Hong Kong considers raising MPF contributions after 13-year freeze on thresholds

Hong Kong’s workers and employers may have to pay more into the Mandatory Provident Fund, as the pension regulator considers calls to raise the contribution threshold, which has remained unchanged for 13 years. Ayesha Macpherson Lau, chairwoman of the Mandatory Provident Fund Authority (MPFA), said in her blog on Sunday that the body had consulted various stakeholder groups since February on adjusting the minimum and maximum income levels used to determine contributions. She hinted at a possi...

Hong Kong Ferry Fares to Increase
BusinessSCMP8d ago

Hong Kong Ferry Fares to Increase

Hong Kong transport authorities have proposed adjusting single-journey fares for six ferry routes from April 1, with some fares rising by 12.5 per cent, marking the first increase in nearly three years.