12 h. ago Can the Philippines regain its tourism edge with revival of China e

The Philippines will revive its electronic visa programme for Chinese tourists next month, nearly two years after its abrupt suspension, as part of a broader push to boost lagging visitor arrivals and regain lost ground in the regional tourism race. The Philippine embassy in Beijing confirmed in a statement issued on October 15 that Chinese citizens – including those from Hong Kong and Macau – would again be able to apply for short-stay e-visas online for up to 14 days of travel for tourism or...

Politics

63 h. ago Hong Kong to issue T3 at 5.20pm as Tropical Storm Fengshen edges closer

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong’s Observatory will issue the No 3 typhoon warning at 5.20pm on Monday, unusually skipping the No 1 standby signal due to the combined effect of Tropical Storm Fengshen and a northeast monsoon. The forecaster on Monday also warned that rain would be more frequent on Tuesday and early on Wednesday. “With Fengshen edging closer to the coast of...

Events

63 h. ago Hong Kong issues T3 signal as Tropical Storm Fengshen edges closer

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong’s Observatory issued the No 3 typhoon warning at 5.20pm on Monday, unusually skipping the No 1 signal due to the combined effect of Tropical Storm Fengshen and a northeast monsoon. The forecaster also warned that rain would be more frequent on Tuesday and early on Wednesday. “It will be persistently windy in the next couple of days. Temperatures...

Events

63 h. ago Fengshen: Hong Kong T3 signal in force until Tuesday as some classes suspended

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Classes at kindergartens and some special schools in Hong Kong will be suspended on Tuesday, with the No 3 typhoon signal remaining in force until at least 6pm. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Monday that while Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen, a Chinese name meaning “the god of wind”, was edging closer to the Guangdong coast, the need for a higher typhoon...

Politics

3 d. ago Beijing moves to stop Chinese tech giants from issuing stablecoins in Hong Kong: FT

Beijing moves to stop Chinese tech giants from issuing stablecoins in Hong Kong: FT  theblock.co

Politics

3 d. ago Flu’s spread across Asia prompts Hong Kong groups to join vaccination appeal

Medical organisations and politicians in Hong Kong, Macau and other parts of Asia have issued a joint appeal to take preventive steps against the spread of influenza across the continent, with a local expert calling on residents to get vaccinated early. Dr Mike Kwan Yat-wah, president of the Asian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, said on Sunday that influenza was spreading not only in Hong Kong, but in countries such as Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Singapore. “After the Covid-19...

Politics

3 d. ago Tropical Storm Fengshen: Hong Kong Observatory could issue T3 on Monday evening

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory could issue the No 3 typhoon warning on Monday evening, as Tropical Storm Fengshen edges closer to the city. The forecaster also said it would issue the strong monsoon signal on Sunday evening as local winds strengthened under the influence of a northeastern monsoon. “With Fengshen edging closer to the coast of Guangdong gradually...

Events

3 d. ago Fengshen: Hong Kong may issue T3 typhoon signal between 5pm and 7pm on Monday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory has said it will consider issuing the No 3 typhoon signal between 5pm and 7pm on Monday, as Tropical Storm Fengshen edges closer to the city. The forecaster issued the strong monsoon signal at 10.50pm on Sunday as local winds strengthened under the influence of a northeastern monsoon. It said the No 3 typhoon alert would replace the...

Politics

4 d. ago Hong Kong may issue T3 on Monday as Tropical Storm Fengshen edges closer

Hong Kong’s weather forecaster may issue the No 3 typhoon warning signal on Monday as Tropical Storm Fengshen moves closer to the coast of Guangdong, with temperatures set to fall to about 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit). The Hong Kong Observatory said on Saturday that Fengshen, which means “the god of wind” in Chinese, would come within 800km (497 miles) of Hong Kong the following day and would be closest to the city on Tuesday. “With Fengshen edging closer to the coast of Guangdong later on...

Events

6 d. ago FCC seeks to bar Hong Kong Telecom carrier from operating in US

In a further sign of mounting tension between the US and China, the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) on Wednesday took the initial step to “expel Hong Kong Telecom” from the US telecommunication network. In a notice issued late in the day, the US regulatory agency announced that it had sent “Communist Party-controlled” HKT International an order to show cause why it should not revoke the carrier’s right to provide international and domestic services to and from the United States. The...

Politics

7 d. ago China Merchants Bank’s Hong Kong unit issues tokens on BNB Chain

A Hong Kong subsidiary of China Merchants Bank has tokenised a US-dollar money market fund on BNB Chain – the blockchain developed by the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance – as the city’s real-world asset (RWA) drive continues to attract Chinese financial institutions. CMB International Asset Management Limited partnered with BNB Chain to tokenise its CMB International USD Money Market Fund, issuing two tokens that would be available to accredited investors, the companies said on...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong poised for greater role in Islamic finance, secretary says

Hong Kong is on track to develop as an Islamic finance centre in North Asia, with some companies considering issuing sukuk bonds to help Middle Eastern capital flow into the Greater Bay Area, according to bankers and the city’s financial secretary. “We have received a rising number of inquiries from companies about issuing sukuk bonds in Hong Kong,” said David Yim Sau-king, head of debt capital markets for Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, at a summit on Monday. “We hope...

Politics

2 w. ago Can Hong Kong cash in on culture so arts hub, museums pay for themselves?

Beijing’s world-renowned Palace Museum celebrates its centenary this month. In the first of a three-part series to mark the anniversary, Ambrose Li examines how the West Kowloon Cultural District, home to the Hong Kong Palace Museum, can tackle the thorny issue of funding. When Bernard Chan recently took over as the new chairman of the body managing Hong Kong’s premier arts hub, he made his top priority clear: to ensure its cultural facilities were financially sustainable in the long run. It was...

Economics

2 w. ago Hong Kong investigates ‘installation issues’ at 3 light public housing projects

Hong Kong authorities have set up an independent team to investigate “installation issues” with prefabricated units at three light public housing sites, warning that they will hold the contractor and related parties accountable. The Architectural Services Department warned on Monday it would take regulatory actions and hold the contractor and related parties accountable for the flawed modular integrated construction (MiC) units found in Siu Lam, Tuen Mun and Chai Wan. In August, the Siu Lam...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong bolsters green finance hub role with new global building certificates

The Hong Kong Green Building Council recently started issuing international certificates for buildings overseas, which is expected to enable more international developers to secure local funding for sustainable projects, boosting the city’s role as a regional green finance hub. A non-profit-making body focused on promoting the development of eco-friendly structures, the council has extended its Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) Plus certification programme to foreign markets. The...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong minister rejects imposing storm chasing fines, warns against risks

Hong Kong's security chief has ruled out introducing fines for reckless people who need to be rescued during adverse weather, adding that drafting a new law against storm chasing would be challenging. Instead, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung warned residents on Saturday to think twice before taking the risk to chase storms, saying such action was like “committing suicide”. Tang made the remarks during a television interview as Severe Tropical Storm Matmo headed closer to Guangdong...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong to issue T3 between noon and 2pm on Saturday as Matmo nears

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 3 typhoon signal between noon and 2pm on Saturday as severe tropical storm Matmo is edging closer to the city. Education authorities also announced that classes for kindergartens and schools for children with physical and intellectual disabilities are suspended after noon. “In the past few hours, Matmo moved...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong to issue T3 at 12.20pm as storm Matmo edges closer

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 3 typhoon warning signal at 12.20pm on Saturday as Severe Tropical Storm Matmo moves closer to the city. Education authorities also announced that classes for kindergartens and schools for children with physical and intellectual disabilities will be suspended after noon. “In the past few hours, Matmo moved...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong issues T3 as Severe Tropical Storm Matmo edges closer

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has issued the No 3 typhoon warning signal as Severe Tropical Storm Matmo moves closer to the city. The Hong Kong Observatory raised the signal at 12.20pm and said it was expected to keep it in force at least until 10pm. Education authorities also announced that kindergartens and schools for children with physical and...

Events

2 w. ago Typhoon Matmo: Hong Kong T3 signal to remain in force until noon on Sunday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said the No 3 warning signal will remain in force until at least noon on Sunday, with Typhoon Matmo expected to be closest to the city in the early hours. The Observatory raised the No 3 typhoon signal at 12.20pm on Saturday. “According to the present forecast, Matmo will be closest to Hong Kong in the small hours and Sunday...

Politics