8 h. ago Hong Kong’s Cathay apologises after tech issues leave passengers without air con

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways apologised to passengers twice on Thursday after an aircraft experienced two separate technical issues on the same day, one of which forced passengers to sit on board the plane without air conditioning, causing significant delays to two destinations. Cathay Pacific said on Thursday night that flight CX705 was originally scheduled to depart from Hong Kong at 8am, but was delayed as a result of a technical issue that occurred during boarding and affected the...

Politics

16 h. ago Hong Kong to issue T1 warning on Friday night as tropical cyclone edges closer

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory will issue the No 1 typhoon signal as early as Friday night, with the possibility of raising the warning to No 3 on Saturday, in anticipation of a tropical cyclone that is edging closer to the city. The forecaster said the tropical cyclone was currently located to the...

Events

16 h. ago Hong Kong could issue T8 warning on Sunday as tropical cyclone edges closer

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory will issue the No 1 typhoon signal as early as Friday night and will consider raising the warning to No 8 on Sunday, as a tropical cyclone edges closer to the city. The forecaster said the tropical cyclone was currently located to the east of the Philippines and was...

Events

16 h. ago Hong Kong may issue T8 warning on Sunday as tropical cyclone edges closer

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory will issue the No 1 typhoon signal as early as Friday night and will consider raising the warning to No 8 on Sunday, as a tropical cyclone edges closer to the city. The forecaster said the tropical cyclone was currently located to the east of the Philippines and was...

Events

58 h. ago Beijing slams foreign news outlets for ‘smearing’ Hong Kong national security law

China’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong has slammed foreign media outlets for “smearing” the Beijing-imposed national security law with their coverage of the fifth anniversary of its implementation. The Commissioner’s Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong issued a statement of strong condemnation on Tuesday, slamming BBC News Chinese and the Japanese newspaper the Nikkei for “distorted reports, comments or editorials”. “[These pieces] were rooted in ideological bias [and]...

Events

3 d. ago Lawmakers warn SIM card limits won’t stem tide of phone scams in Hong Kong

A law amendment proposal to reduce the number of prepaid SIM cards per user from 10 to three does not go far enough to deter rampant phone scams, according to Hong Kong lawmakers, who called for a tougher approach to handling the issue. Hong Kong authorities have proposed reducing the maximum number of prepaid SIM cards a user can register with one of the 29 telecommunications service providers in the city from 10 to just three, according to a paper submitted to the Legislative Council. This...

Events

6 d. ago Hong Kong doctor jailed for issuing Covid jab exemptions without medical checks

A Hong Kong doctor has been jailed for nine months for issuing Covid-19 vaccination exemption certificates to four people without making a proper medical diagnosis, as a court heard how he raked in more than HK$4.6 million (US$585,980) from those who wanted to avoid the inoculations. The District Court on Friday sentenced Dr Wong Ping-leung for his dishonest use of the government’s electronic health record system to generate the certificates at his clinic in Chai Wan’s Hing Wah Plaza between...

Science

7 d. ago Red rainstorm warning issued as Hong Kong hit by widespread heavy showers

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has issued a red rainstorm warning as the city is being hit by widespread heavy showers. The signal was raised at 9.36am on Thursday, replacing an amber rainstorm warning that was issued by the Hong Kong Observatory at 8.35am. “Widespread heavy rain may affect...

Events

7 d. ago Hong Kong Observatory downgrades red rainstorm warning to amber

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The weather forecaster has lowered its red rainstorm warning to amber as Hong Kong is being hit by widespread heavy showers. The signal, raised at 9.36am on Thursday, was replaced by an amber rainstorm warning at 10.40am. An amber warning was also issued by the Hong Kong Observatory earlier at...

Events

8 d. 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

8 d. ago Arrest warrant issued for singer Tommy Yuen, who says he has left Hong Kong

A Hong Kong magistrate 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, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday night he had already left Hong Kong and had never thought of appearing in court. He was due to appear in Kowloon City Court on a count of theft for allegedly stealing HK$144.50 (US$18.40) worth of snacks and drinks from a supermarket last...

Events

1 week ago No 1 typhoon signal to stay in effect on Saturday as hot weather grips Hong Kong

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Typhoon signal No 1 will remain in force on Saturday, Hong Kong’s weather forecaster said, adding the chance of issuing a higher warning is “rather low”. The Hong Kong Observatory also issued a very hot warning at 6.45am. Temperatures in some districts will reach 35 degrees or above on...

Politics

1 week ago T1 warning to remain in force on Saturday as hot weather grips Hong Kong

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. A No 1 typhoon warning will remain in force on Saturday, the Hong Kong Observatory has said, adding that the chance of issuing a higher signal is “rather low”. The forecaster also issued a very hot weather warning at 6.45am, with temperatures in some districts expected to reach 35 degrees...

Events

1 week ago T1 warning to remain in force until Sunday noon as hot weather grips Hong Kong

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. A No 1 typhoon warning will remain in force until noon on Sunday, the Hong Kong Observatory has said, adding that the likelihood of issuing a higher signal is “rather low”. The forecaster also issued a very hot weather warning at 6.45am, with temperatures in some districts expected to reach 35...

Events

1 week ago Hong Kong to issue No 1 signal at 12.20pm as tropical depression intensifies

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal at 12.20pm on Friday as a low pressure over the northeastern part of the South China Sea intensifies into a tropical depression. The Hong Kong Observatory said the tropical depression was expected to enter within 800km...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong issues No 1 signal at 12.20pm as tropical depression intensifies

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster issued the No 1 typhoon warning signal at 12.20pm on Friday as a low pressure over the northeastern part of the South China Sea intensified into a tropical depression. The Hong Kong Observatory said the tropical depression was expected to enter within 800km (497...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong issues T1 typhoon signal as tropical depression intensifies

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster issued the No 1 typhoon warning signal at 12.20pm on Friday as a low pressure over the northeastern part of the South China Sea intensified into a tropical depression. The Hong Kong Observatory said the tropical depression was expected to enter within 800km (497...

Politics

1 week ago No 1 typhoon signal to remain in force in Hong Kong until at least Saturday noon

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said the No 1 typhoon signal will remain in force until at least noon on Saturday and it will assess whether a higher warning is needed. The Observatory said on Friday evening a tropical cyclone was expected to be nearest to the Pearl River Delta between...

Politics

2 w. ago Economist Huang Yiping floats Hong Kong as stablecoin staging ground

Issuing a stablecoin pegged to the offshore yuan in Hong Kong may be more feasible than in mainland China due to the latter’s capital controls, a central bank adviser has said. The comments from Huang Yiping, also dean of Peking University’s National School of Development, came as worries arise in Beijing’s policy circles that Washington could gain an upper hand through the cryptocurrency offshoot as a means of consolidating US dollar dominance. “As China’s capital account is not fully...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong may issue T1 warning on Friday as potential cyclone develops

Hong Kong Observatory will consider issuing a T1 typhoon warning signal on Friday and Saturday, urging the public to stay away from the shoreline and refrain from water sports. The forecaster on Thursday said the area of low pressure to the north of Luzon would develop into a tropical cyclone in the coming few days and come within 800km (497 miles) of Hong Kong. It said the cyclone would remain near the northeastern part of the South China Sea and intensify. “Depending on its development and...

Events