2 h. ago Hongkongers may soon be limited to 3 prepaid SIM cards per service provider

Hong Kong authorities have proposed reducing the maximum number of prepaid SIM cards a user can register with a telecoms provider from 10 to just three, and criminalising those who misuse them. A paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday detailed the proposed amendments to the Telecommunications Ordinance, which are expected to be scrutinised by the legislature next year to strengthen efforts against rising phone scams in the city. Improper use of SIM cards registered under another...

Politics

2 h. ago Hong Kong Hospital Authority rejects claim that locals can’t secure residencies

Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has rejected accusations from a social media user that graduates from the city’s medical schools are unable to secure residencies because of the government’s budget deficit and labour policies. The authority on Tuesday evening said it provides “sufficient training places” for all local medical students to complete their internships each year and also employs all eligible local graduates for specialist training in public hospitals. “For many years, the Hospital...

Politics

3 h. ago Hong Kong court orders arrest of singer Tommy Yuen for ignoring theft charge

A Hong Kong court has issued a warrant for the arrest of singer Tommy Yuen Man-on after he failed to appear in court to answer a shoplifting charge. Yuen, a former member of the defunct Cantopop boy band E-kids, was expected to appear in Kowloon City Court on Wednesday on a count of theft for allegedly stealing HK$144.50 (US$18.40) worth of snacks and drinks from a supermarket last month. A charge sheet indicated the 45-year-old defendant stole six bottles of Coke, tea and water, as well as...

Events

5 h. ago Hong Kong stocks fall on worries about China’s deflationary pressure

Hong Kong stocks fell by the most in nearly three weeks as China’s deflationary trend became more entrenched, deepening concerns about the nation’s growth prospects. The Hang Seng Index dropped 0.8 per cent to 23,943.42 at 10.13am local time on Wednesday and the Hang Seng Tech Index retreated 1.3 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index climbed 0.2 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3 per cent. Henderson Land Development slumped 8.3 per cent to HK$26 after raising HK$8 billion...

Events

6 h. ago 5 stocks gain in Hong Kong trading debut as bull market rages on

Hong Kong’s stock exchange had its busiest day of the year for new listings on Wednesday as five mainland Chinese companies made their debuts, cementing the city’s position atop the global ranking for initial public offerings (IPO). Wuhan Dazhong Dental Medical (2651) was the biggest winner of the day when its shares jumped 20 per cent at the open to HK$24, from its IPO price of HK$20. The shares of Apple supplier Lens Technology (6613) began trading at HK$18.88, a premium of 3.8 per cent from...

Economics

6 h. ago Hong Kong uniquely placed to help fill global public goods gap left by US

USAID, long one of the foremost tools of US soft power, ended its six decades as an independent agency on July 1, with no details on how it had been reviewed disclosed. Meanwhile, the China-initiated International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), made a high-profile debut in Hong Kong in May. Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the inauguration and stressed looking for ways to resolve issues “so as to lend our thoughts to countries seeking to resolve problems or disagreements with others”. This...

Politics

6 h. ago Hong Kong has new path to prominence as a hub for public goods

USAID, long one of the foremost tools of US soft power, ended its six decades as an independent agency on July 1, with no details on how it had been reviewed disclosed. Meanwhile, the China-initiated International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), made a high-profile debut in Hong Kong in May. Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the inauguration and stressed looking for ways to resolve issues “so as to lend our thoughts to countries seeking to resolve problems or disagreements with others”. This...

Politics

7 h. ago Why investor confidence is key to acing Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis ‘test’

Hong Kong must instil investor confidence by eliminating uncertainties over the Northern Metropolis, a megadevelopment near the border viewed by Beijing as a test of the administration’s governance capability, analysts have said. The megaproject, featuring the city’s new innovation hub located in the northern New Territories, grabbed headlines again last month after a five-day visit by Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong affairs and subtle bargaining by the city’s major developers. The...

Economics

16 h. ago Major rail links in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis to be completed 2 years early

Hong Kong’s railway operator and the government signed an agreement on the design and construction of the major rail link in the Northern Metropolis on Tuesday, fast-tracking its completion by at least two years to 2034. The agreement, which gives momentum to the Northern Metropolis project, involves HK$39.05 billion in financing from land premiums for the construction of three stations along the Northern Link main line, the design of the spur line, tunnels and other railway facilities. It is...

Politics

17 h. ago University of Hong Kong calls Pok Fu Lam site best option for innovation hub

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has said that Pok Fu Lam is the best location for building its innovation hub compared with alternatives such as the Northern Metropolis, arguing the site could yield the fastest outcomes and see the first section open its doors as early as 2032. The university’s stance was shared in a report submitted on Tuesday to the Town Planning Board about a revised development plan for HKU’s global innovation centre. An initial proposal had suggested that the centre be...

Politics

17 h. ago University of Hong Kong calls Pok Fu Lam site best option for its innovation hub

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has said that Pok Fu Lam is the best location for building its innovation hub compared with alternatives such as the Northern Metropolis, arguing the site could yield the fastest outcomes and see the first section open its doors as early as 2032. The university’s stance was shared in a report submitted on Tuesday to the Town Planning Board about a revised development plan for HKU’s global innovation centre. An initial proposal had suggested that the centre be...

Politics

18 h. ago Hong Kong police arrest boy, 13, on suspicion of drug trafficking

Hong Kong police have arrested a 13-year-old boy on suspicion of drug trafficking after uncovering a narcotics cache worth about HK$530,000 (US$67,520) hidden inside his Mong Kok home. Officers from Wong Tai Sin district’s anti-triad unit raided a flat on Pak Po Street on Monday, seizing about 1kg (2.2lbs) of suspected crystal meth “ice”. Police also found around 6 grams (0.2 oz) of a cocktail drug commonly referred to as “happy powder”, a mixture of different substances such as ketamine and...

Events

18 h. ago A third of Hong Kong IB candidates earned top marks: what’s their secret?

A third of Hong Kong pupils taking this year’s International Baccalaureate (IB) programme have attained near-perfect or full marks, representing nearly 10 per cent of the top achievers globally, according to the latest data. Schools offering the curriculum attributed the students’ performance to their strengths in languages, as well as the local culture that placed great emphasis on academic excellence. Pupils from Hong Kong achieved an average total points score that was significantly higher...

Politics

19 h. ago Hong Kong’s financial centre status gives it an edge in AI market, experts say

Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre gives it an edge in artificial intelligence (AI) development in spite of rising geopolitical tensions, according to experts, as the city boosts computing power resources to support companies involved in the vital technology. “For AI companies, having easy access to capital is extremely important,” SenseTime chief financial officer Wang Zheng said in a panel discussion at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference 2025 on Tuesday. “Hong...

Economics

19 h. ago Hong Kong’s annual anime fair to double venue size to cut waiting times for fans

Hong Kong’s annual comics and games fair is set to double its venue size this year to shorten waiting times for fans when it launches at the end of the month, according to the organiser. Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong 2025 is set to run from July 25 to 29 at Halls 1 and 3 of the Convention and Exhibition Centre, with the festival to feature a record-high number of 160 exhibitors and more than 788 booths. The event will mark the 26th year of the fair. It will span more than 34,870 square metres,...

Politics

20 h. ago Philippines summons Chinese ambassador over travel ban on former senator

The Philippine foreign ministry has summoned the Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian after Beijing hit the former Senate majority leader with a travel ban for his stance on the South China Sea. Francis Tolentino, a key ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, has been barred from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, according to a statement released by the Chinese foreign ministry last week. Beijing said the ban was the result of his “egregious conduct on China-related issues”. During a...

Politics

20 h. ago Hong Kong’s insurance market may balloon 55% as Greater Bay Area ages

Hong Kong’s insurance business may expand by a compounded 55 per cent over the next eight years, driven by the so-called silver economy serving senior citizens and growth in the Greater Bay Area, industry experts said on Tuesday. Gross insurance premium in the city may jump to US$127 billion by 2032 from last year’s US$82 billion, said Steve Finch, Manulife Financial’s Asia president, citing industry forecasts. That growth is enabled by the “depth and sophistication of Hong Kong’s insurance...

Politics

21 h. ago Hong Kong NGO defends ecotourism research after ‘soft resistance’ accusation from Beijing

Hong Kong NGO defends ecotourism research after ‘soft resistance’ accusation from Beijing-backed paper  Hong Kong Free Press HKFP

Politics

22 h. ago Business leaders call for efforts to combat ‘Hong Kong equals China’ perception

Hong Kong must work harder to be as international as possible under the “one country, two systems” framework to combat a growing perception in Western capitals that it is no different from any other mainland Chinese city, business leaders have urged. The city also maintains a significant lead over regional rival Singapore in key financial metrics, panellists at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference said on Tuesday. “The problem is that many of them feel that Hong Kong equals China,”...

Politics

22 h. ago Efforts needed to combat view ‘Hong Kong equals mainland China’: business leaders

Hong Kong must work harder to be as international as possible under the “one country, two systems” framework to combat a growing perception in Western capitals that it is no different from mainland Chinese cities, business leaders have urged. The city also maintains a significant lead over regional rival Singapore in key financial metrics, panellists at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference 2025 said on Tuesday. “The problem is that many of them feel that Hong Kong equals China,” said...

Politics