63 h. ago Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium lifts city’s status as a major sports and entertainment venue

The 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium is transforming Hong Kong into a major sports and events destination, as it drives repeat tourism, supports retailers and helps prop up the city’s retail property landlords, according to experts. It served as the venue for British rock band Coldplay’s four-night concert in April and K-pop girl group Twice’s first-ever shows in the city earlier this month. A three-night gig by K-pop sensation Blackpink will also be held there next month. The stadium has been ranked...

Politics

5 d. ago New entrants steady Hong Kong retail property sector in absence of luxury giants

Taiwanese brand Nap Tea drew long lines when it opened its first Hong Kong store in Mong Kok in February. The chain has since expanded aggressively, opening its ninth outlet in the city this month. “What truly surprised us was our breakthrough in quickly building a loyal base of repeat customers,” said co-founder Dan Lin. “Rent is indeed a major challenge in the Hong Kong market, but it proves that as long as the product is strong enough, it can overcome the pressure of high costs.” Co-founded...

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong's last opposition party disbands under China pressure

Hong Kong's last opposition party disbands under China pressure  reuters.com

Events

5 d. ago Hong Kong’s last major opposition party disbands amid Chinese pressure

Hong Kong’s last major opposition party disbands amid Chinese pressure  The Guardian

Events

5 d. ago Hong Kong's last opposition party votes to disband under China pressure

Hong Kong's last opposition party votes to disband under China pressure  NBC News

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong's last opposition party to vote on disbandment under China pressure

Hong Kong's last opposition party to vote on disbandment under China pressure  Reuters

Politics

8 d. ago Chinese exports to US decline as tariff pressures take a toll

Chinese exports to US decline as tariff pressures take a toll  China Daily - Global Edition

Events

8 d. ago Mexico’s tariffs on China aim to placate US – but could backfire: analysts

Mexico’s move to place tariffs of up to 50 per cent on Chinese and other Asian goods underscores US efforts to pressure other countries to take action against China – and Beijing may well retaliate, analysts said. The Mexican Senate on Wednesday approved duties between 5 and 50 per cent on 1,463 product categories – including auto parts, textiles and plastics – starting from January 2026. President Claudia Sheinbaum had proposed the tariffs in the name of protecting local industries, subject to...

Events

9 d. ago Six major Hong Kong banks keep prime rates unchanged despite HKMA base rate cut

Six major lenders in Hong Kong, including three note-issuing banks – HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong) – have kept their prime lending and savings rates unchanged, even though the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) lowered the base rate on Thursday. Analysts said commercial banks found it difficult to reduce lending rates further because savings rates were already close to zero, meaning any cut in prime lending rates alone would erode profitability. Hong Kong banks set...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong financial hub gets gold star for governance, but red flag on readiness

Hong Kong boasts the strongest institutional environment of any major financial hub but lags in growth and future readiness, according to a new index launched by New York University Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The inaugural Financial Centres Competitiveness Index (FFCI), unveiled at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, ranked Hong Kong fourth overall, behind New York, London and Singapore. The index is built around two main criteria. On “footprint” – a measure that reflects the current scale and activity of...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong financial hub gets gold star for governance, red flag on readiness

Hong Kong boasts the strongest institutional environment of any major financial hub but lags in growth and future readiness, according to a new index launched by New York University Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The inaugural Financial Centres Competitiveness Index (FFCI), unveiled at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, ranked Hong Kong fourth overall, behind New York, London and Singapore. The index is built around two main criteria. On “footprint” – a measure that reflects the current scale and activity of...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong’s financial hub gets a gold star for governance, red flag on readiness

Hong Kong boasts the strongest institutional environment of any major financial hub but lags in growth and future readiness, according to a new index launched by New York University Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The inaugural Financial Centres Competitiveness Index (FFCI), unveiled at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, ranked Hong Kong fourth overall, behind New York, London and Singapore. The index is built around two main criteria. On “footprint” – a measure that reflects the current scale and activity of...

Politics

1 week ago ‘Virginity battle’: Chinese women caught between old and new sexual values

A research project about changes in family life over three generations has found that traditional values still play a key role in sexual relations in China, and women often struggle amid tensions between old and new. One of the areas of conflict is what researcher Liu Jieyu has called a “virginity battle”. Influenced by Western liberal attitudes, many younger Chinese men are open to premarital sex, and they often pressure their girlfriends to have sex while dating, according to Liu’s new book,...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong developers push for smoking ban at construction sites after deadly fire

Major Hong Kong developers are considering a blanket ban on smoking for workers at all construction sites following the deadly Tai Po blaze that killed 159, with at least two already demanding that all their contractors impose the tough rule or step up penalties. The Real Estate Developers Association (REDA) told the Post on Friday that it was gathering views on the smoking ban from its members, including major developers such as Sino Land, Swire Properties, Sun Hung Kai and New World...

Events

2 w. ago Scholar speaks out after Chinese Communist Party pressure on her university and research

Scholar speaks out after Chinese Communist Party pressure on her university and research  WBUR

Events

3 w. ago Major fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po leaves 2 severely burned, residents trapped

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. A major fire has broken out in Hong Kong’s Tai Po neighbourhood, with fierce flames spreading across bamboo scaffolding at a housing estate, leaving two people with severe burns, and trapping several residents. Photos circulating online showed dark smoke billowing high into the sky from the scene. Police said on Wednesday that they had received multiple...

Events

3 w. ago Firefighter and 3 others dead, people trapped as blaze engulfs Hong Kong blocks

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Four people including a firefighter were killed and at least three others injured in a major fire that broke out in Hong Kong’s Tai Po neighbourhood, with fierce flames spreading across bamboo scaffolding at a housing estate, which has also trapped multiple residents. Huge plumes of dark smoke billowed high into the sky at the scene at Wang Fuk Court on...

Events

3 w. ago Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze raised to maximum threat level as 4 dead, 13 trapped

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Four people including a firefighter were killed and at least five others critically injured in a major fire that broke out in Hong Kong’s Tai Po neighbourhood, with fierce flames spreading across bamboo scaffolding at a housing estate, which has also trapped multiple residents. Huge plumes of dark smoke billowed high into the sky at the scene at Wang Fuk...

Events

3 w. ago 12 dead as Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze raised to maximum threat level

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Twelve people including a firefighter have been killed and at least 16 others are critically injured in a fiery blaze ravaging Hong Kong’s Tai Po neighbourhood, as flames lash over bamboo scaffolding across all eight blocks of a housing estate with multiple other residents trapped inside. The other 11 who were killed were eight women and three men, according...

Events

3 w. ago 13 dead as searing heat hampers Hong Kong Tai Po blaze rescue efforts

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Thirteen people including a firefighter have been killed and at least 15 others are critically injured in an inferno ravaging a housing estate in Hong Kong’s Tai Po neighbourhood, as flames lash over bamboo scaffolding across seven blocks with multiple residents trapped inside. Huge plumes of dark smoke billowed high into the sky at the scene at Wang Fuk...

Events