14 h. ago Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen gradually moves away after skirting Hong Kong

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen has skirted Hong Kong and will gradually move away from the city on Tuesday, according to the weather forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory also said that the No 3 typhoon signal currently in effect would remain in force at least until 6pm, with the chance of issuing a higher signal being “relatively low” unless Fengshen, which...

Events

14 h. ago Fengshen: hot weather back by weekend as Hong Kong lowers all typhoon signals

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Daytime temperatures are expected to rise later this week, the Hong Kong Observatory has said, as it cancelled all typhoon signals. The weather forecaster lowered the No 3 signal at 6.20pm on Tuesday as Tropical Cyclone Fengshen, which means “the god of wind” in Chinese, departed. The strong monsoon signal was in force. The Observatory warned that local winds...

Politics

28 h. ago Hong Kong Moves Forward with Stablecoins While Beijing Signals Concern

Hong Kong Moves Forward with Stablecoins While Beijing Signals Concern  Finance Magnates

Events

47 h. 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 Rush to create 2,600 student hostel spaces to meet surging demand in Hong Kong

Education authorities have received more than 10 applications to convert commercial buildings and hotels into 2,600 dormitory spaces in Hong Kong, a move to address the increased demand after raising the cap on non-local students at tertiary institutions to 50 per cent. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said on Saturday she was encouraged by the response to the “Hostel in the City” scheme, launched in July with the Development Bureau. “We have approved a few applications now,” Choi...

Politics

9 d. ago HSBC’s move to privatise Hang Seng a vote of confidence in Hong Kong

When HSBC announced its plan to privatise Hang Seng Bank for US$13.6 billion at a 30 per cent premium, the markets responded with enthusiasm. Many interpreted the move as a confident bet on Hong Kong’s future. But beneath the strategic packaging lies a deeper signal. This deal is not only about operational synergy. It is also a calculated response to mounting pressures in Hong Kong’s economy and property sector. The hope is that this bold step brings stability rather than reveals deeper...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong’s finance sector enters new era with Hang Seng privatisation

When HSBC announced its plan to privatise Hang Seng Bank for US$13.6 billion at a 30 per cent premium, the markets responded with enthusiasm. Many interpreted the move as a confident bet on Hong Kong’s future. But beneath the strategic packaging lies a deeper signal. This deal is not only about operational synergy. It is also a calculated response to mounting pressures in Hong Kong’s economy and property sector. The hope is that this bold step brings stability rather than reveals deeper...

Economics

1 week ago Australian in Hong Kong wins locals over with efforts to learn Cantonese

For many foreigners who come to Hong Kong for work, one of the appeals of the city is its widespread use of English, meaning that many never feel compelled to learn the local Cantonese language. But 29-year-old Australian Jonas Groom has made a splash on social media, where he posts videos of his Cantonese language learning journey, with some of his clips garnering hundreds of thousands of views. Groom, who moved to Hong Kong a little over a year ago and works as a strategy consultant, said he...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong to study reviving public housing sale scheme for tenants

Hong Kong will launch a study next year to assess whether to bring back a scheme that helps current public housing tenants buy their rental flats, with polls covering tenants and families on the waiting list. Officials faced mounting calls for relaunching the Tenants Purchase Scheme at a Legislative Council housing panel meeting on Monday, with some legislators saying the move could help boost social stability by raising Hong Kong’s home ownership rate. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong considers downgrading T3 signal as Typhoon Matmo gradually moves away

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Typhoon Matmo is gradually moving away after passing near the city on Sunday morning and is expected to weaken further by the afternoon, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. The forecaster said on Sunday that it would consider downgrading the No 3 signal to the No 1 standby signal when strong winds no longer generally threatened the city. At 10am, Matmo...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong airport warns of more than 100 disrupted flights due to Typhoon Matmo

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. More than 100 flights are expected to be disrupted on Sunday due to Typhoon Matmo, with up to 27 potentially cancelled, according to Hong Kong’s Airport Authority. Matmo is gradually moving away from the city and is forecast to weaken further by the afternoon. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Sunday that it would downgrade the No 3 signal to the No 1 standby...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong lowers storm warning to T1, but more than 100 flights disrupted by Matmo

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. More than 100 flights were expected to be disrupted in Hong Kong on Sunday due to Typhoon Matmo, with up to 27 potentially cancelled, according to the Airport Authority. The Observatory downgraded the No 3 typhoon warning to the No 1 standby signal at 3.40pm on Sunday as Matmo moved away from the city. “With Matmo departing, the weather will improve over the...

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

3 w. ago JD.Com Stock Grabs Retail Eyeballs On Hong Kong Pop As China Moves To Level Food Delivery Playing Field

JD.Com Stock Grabs Retail Eyeballs On Hong Kong Pop As China Moves To Level Food Delivery Playing Field  Stocktwits

Society

3 w. ago Hong Kong cancels all typhoon warning signals as Ragasa moves away

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing now for 50 per cent off during our two-day flash sale. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has cancelled all typhoon warning signals as Tropical Storm Ragasa continues to move away after wreaking havoc in the city. Education authorities also announced on Thursday that afternoon kindergarten classes would resume, while morning classes remained suspended. The Hong...

Events

3 w. ago Hong Kong airport braces for Ragasa backlog of 140,000 affected passengers

Eager travellers, undeterred by the Airport Authority’s announcement that outbound flights would not resume until 6am on Thursday, have headed to Hong Kong International Airport as Severe Typhoon Ragasa moved away from the city. With all flights suspended until midnight, the authority expected the airport would be very busy and anticipated handling about 1,000 flights. It would take about two days to clear the backlog of flights, as 140,000 passengers were affected on Tuesday and Wednesday, the...

Society

3 w. ago Hong Kong stocks rise on Ark Invest moves, stimulus bets amid typhoon

Hong Kong stocks rose on Wednesday, ending a two-day decline as China’s shaky economic outlook fuelled stimulus bets and American investor Cathie Wood’s funds bought Chinese stocks from Alibaba to BYD. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.7 per cent to 26,334.47 as of 11am. The Hang Seng Tech Index rose 1.4 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index and the Shanghai Composite Index both added about 0.1 per cent. Alibaba rose 6.5 per cent to HK$169.80 after CEO Eddie Wu Yongming announced the company...

Politics

4 w. ago Super Typhoon Ragasa: Hong Kong to issue T9 signal as storm rages, moves closer

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing now for 50 per cent off during our two-day flash sale. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No 8 warning signal at 2.20pm on Tuesday as Super Typhoon Ragasa is expected to bring hurricane-force winds with speeds of up to 230km/h (143mph) and thunderstorms. The forecaster says the weather will deteriorate “rapidly” later on Tuesday and that it will consider...

Events

4 w. ago Hong Kong stocks drop after PBOC governor dashes hopes of stimulus moves

Hong Kong stocks fell on Tuesday after a high-level briefing on Monday failed to deliver the easing measures some investors had anticipated. The Hang Seng Index lost 0.5 per cent to 26,221.67 as of 9.45am. The Hang Seng Tech Index dropped 1 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index gained 0.4 per cent while the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.1 per cent. Alibaba Group Holding rose 2 per cent to HK$162.40, and Citic rose 1.6 per cent to HK$11.51. New Oriental Education & Technology, an online...

Politics

4 w. ago Hong Kong stocks drop after PBOC dashes hopes of China stimulus moves

Hong Kong stocks fell on Tuesday after the head of China’s central bank struck a measured tone at high-level briefing on Monday, quashing hopes of easing measures. The Hang Seng Index lost 0.6 per cent to 26,185.33 as of 11am. The Hang Seng Tech Index dropped 1.7 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index lost 0.4 per cent while the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.7 per cent. Search giant Baidu tumbled 5.8 per cent to HK$127.80, while e-commerce company JD.com lost 4 per cent to...

Politics